Virus-Detecting “Lab On a Chip” Developed At BYU

February 8, 2010 · Print This Article

natharward writes “A new development in nano-level diagnostic tests has been applied as a lab on a chip that successfully screened viruses entirely by their size. The chip’s traps are size-specific, which means even tiny concentrations of viruses or other particles won’t escape detection. For medicine, that development is promising for future lab diagnostics that could detect viruses before symptoms kick in and damage begins, well ahead of when traditional lab tests are able to catch them. Aaron Hawkins, the BYU professor leading the work, says his team

is now gearing up to prepare chips with multiple, progressively smaller slots, so that a restricted sample can be used to screen for particles of varying sizes. One could fairly simply determine which proteins or viruses are present based on which walls have particles stacked against them. After that is developed, Hawkins says, ‘If we decided to manufacture these things in high volume, I think within a year it could be ready.’”