Researchers describe a novel method for detecting viruses like Ebola virus (EBOV) and SARS CoV-2.

In a new study, Chao Wang, a researcher at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and School of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, along with ASU colleagues and collaborators at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle describe a novel method for detecting viruses like Ebola virus (EBOV) and SARS CoV-2.

The technique, known as Nano2RED, is a clever twist on conventional high-accuracy tests relying on complex testing protocols and expensive readout systems. The in-solution nano-sensors («Nano2» in the name) serve to detect disease antigens in a sample by simple mixing. The innovative Rapid and Electronic Readout process («RED») developed in the Wang lab delivers test results, which are detectable as a color change in the sample solution, and record the data through inexpensive semiconductor elements such as LEDs and photodetectors.

The technology represents a significant advance in the fight against infectious diseases. It can be developed and produced at very low cost, deployed within weeks or days after an outbreak, and made available for around 1 cent per test.

Compared with widely used high-accuracy lab tests, such as ELISA, Nano2RED is much easier to use. It does not require surface incubation or washing, dye labelling, or amplification, yet still provides about 10 times better sensitivity than ELISA. In addition, the use of semiconductor devices supports a highly portable digital readout system, which can be developed and produced at a cost as low as a few dollars, making it ideal not only for lab use but for clinics, home use, and remote or resource-strained locations. This approach is based on modular designs, and could potentially be used to test for any pathogen.

«This technology works not because it is complex but because it is simple,» says professor Wang. «Another unique feature is the multidisciplinary nature of biosensing. A fundamental understanding of biochemistry, fluidics, and optoelectronics helped us come up with something this ‘simple’.»

Wang is a researcher with the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at ASU. He is also a researcher with ASU’s School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; and the Center for Photonic Innovation. Dr. Liangcai Gu is the collaborator at Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design at UW, Seattle.

Story Source: Materials provided by Arizona State University. Original written by Richard Harth. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.