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RT
Scientists have patented a groundbreaking biosensor technology that can detect HIV within a week of infection, boosting expectations of large-scale early detection in developing countries with the highest transmission rates. Researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) created a rice-grain sized chip that can detect p24 antigen, a protein that is attached to the HIV virus, “at concentrations 100,000 times lower than in current techniques.” Presently, it takes three weeks to detect HIV. A more expensive test, which tests for the genetic material of HIV, can detect the virus’ presence from 10-14 days.
The team’s findings were published in scientific journal PLOS One, and detail how, using existing technology, the new test makes “large-scale, low cost production possible,” with the potential for the chips to be used in countries with the highest transmission rates.
PLOS One
We here report the development of a sandwich immunoassay that combines nanomechanical and optoplasmonic transduction methods for detecting the HIV-1 capsid antigen p24 in human serum. The immunoreactions take place on the surface of a compliant microcantilever where gold nanoparticles are used as both mechanical and plasmonic labels. The microcantilever acts as both a mechanical resonator and an optical cavity for the transduction of the mechanical and plasmonic signals. The limit of detection of the immunoassay is 10−17 g/mL that is equivalent to one virion in 10 mL of plasma. This is 5 orders of magnitude better than last generation of approved immunoassays and 2 orders of magnitude better than NAAT. This technology meets the demands to be produced en masse at low cost and the capability for miniaturization to be used at the point-of-care.
originally posted by: worldstarcountry
I would prefer a less invasive detection technique, one that does not require a chip that with a few updates may turn you into a human IP address that can be pinged for location anywhere on Earth?