No need for any antibody to get results in a few minutes
Carbon nanotube sensor can quickly detect new coronavirus
Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, October 27th (Reporter Zhang Mengran) Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a new type of sensor using special carbon nanotubes that can detect the new coronavirus without any antibodies and give it within minutes result.
The new sensor is based on technology that can quickly and accurately diagnose, not only for the new crown epidemic, but also for future epidemics.
Michael Strano, professor of chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and senior author of the research, said: “Rapid testing means that travel can be opened earlier in future pandemics. People who get off the plane can be screened and identified. Should they be quarantined, people entering the workplace can also be screened."
About 10 days after the start of the project, the researchers identified accurate sensors for the nucleocapsid and spike protein of the new coronavirus.
During this period, they were also able to integrate the sensor into a prototype device with a fiber-optic tip, which can detect changes in the fluorescence of biological fluid samples in real time.
It eliminates the need to send samples to the laboratory, which was originally required for the COVID-19 PCR diagnostic test.
The device produces results in about 5 minutes and can detect concentrations as low as 2.4 picograms of viral protein per milliliter of sample.
In the latest experiments conducted after the submission of this paper, the researchers achieved lower detection limits than the rapid tests currently available commercially.
The device can also detect the new coronavirus nucleocapsid protein dissolved in saliva (but it cannot detect the spike protein).
Detection of viral proteins in saliva is often difficult because saliva contains sticky carbohydrates and digestive enzyme molecules that can interfere with protein detection. This is why most COVID-19 diagnoses require nasal swabs.
The researchers said that even without any antibody and receptor design, the sensor showed the highest range of detection limits, response time and saliva compatibility.
The unique feature of this molecular recognition program is that it can be quickly designed and tested without being hindered by the development time and supply chain requirements of traditional antibody or enzyme receptors.
Strano said that the speed at which researchers develop prototypes shows that this method can prove useful for faster development of diagnostic methods during future pandemics.
Editor-in-chief
The new crown pneumonia epidemic is still lingering around us. Once a case of infection occurs in a certain city, the demand for nucleic acid testing will increase rapidly.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, nucleic acid testing has become more and more convenient, and the time required for testing has been reduced to a few hours.
Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement: just imagine that if the detection results can be obtained in real time, the efficiency of epidemic prevention and control will be significantly improved.
Therefore, it is expected that the research results of the staff will move from the laboratory to the front line of epidemic prevention and control as soon as possible, and contribute to the human fight against the new crown epidemic.