Wednesday, June 7, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Biodetection

Diagnosing Disease for Less Than $2

by Global Biodefense Staff
July 20, 2015
Diagnostics for All Paper Assay

Image credit: American Chemical Society

In the U.S. and other industrialized nations, testing for infectious diseases and cancer often requires expensive equipment and highly trained specialists. In countries where resources are limited, performing the same diagnostics is far more challenging.

Diagnostics for All Paper Assay
Image credit: American Chemical Society

To address this disparity, scientists at Diagnostics for All are developing a portable, low-cost “paper machine” for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases, genetic conditions and cancer. Their report appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

Many modern diagnostic techniques involve analyzing DNA in a patient’s blood sample. If pathogenic bacteria, for example, are present, the test will detect the foreign genetic material.

Part of the barrier to bringing this kind of technology everywhere is that it often requires multiple steps under precisely controlled temperatures to prepare a sample and analyze it.

Scientists are working to simplify these procedures, but most are still not ideal for remote locations. John T. Connelly and colleagues set out to make this critical technology more accessible.

Using materials that cost a less than $2 total, the researchers condensed sample preparation, DNA analysis and detection steps into a hand-held paper machine. It successfully determined whether as few as five cells of E. coli were present in test samples.

The results can be read using ultraviolet light and a smartphone camera. The researchers say they are further refining the machine to make it even simpler to use.

The research was backed by funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Read the paper at Analytical Chemistry: A ‘Paper Machine’ for Molecular Diagnostics.

Tags: Chemical DetectionPOC Diagnostics

Related Posts

Medical Countermeasures

Scientists Design Molecule to Slow SARS-Cov-2 Infection

March 29, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions
Pathogens

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model
Medical Countermeasures

DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model

January 13, 2023
The device appears smaller than a playing card, transparent, with visible channels branching off.
Medical Countermeasures

How Organ-on-a-chip Models Could Grease the Drug Development Pipeline

January 10, 2023
Load More

Latest News

Vials of finished vaccines

UK Biomanufacturing Fund to Bolster Supply Chain Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness

May 26, 2023
Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

Dr. Sen Pei Discusses Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

April 26, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 25 April 2023

April 25, 2023
Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

Aptitude Awarded Up to $54M BARDA Funding for At-Home Diagnostics

April 20, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Stemar Media Group LLC