• Researchers detect coronavirus particles

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Thursday, April 21, 2022 22:30:48
    Researchers detect coronavirus particles with 'slow light'
    The novel detection platform is fast, accurate, and performs label-free imaging of virus particles by slowing down light

    Date:
    April 21, 2022
    Source:
    GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)
    Summary:
    Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either
    expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed
    a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles
    using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their
    versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the
    way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms
    that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either
    expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists from the Gwangju
    Institute of Science and Technology have developed a novel biosensing
    platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on
    slowing down light, could pave the way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.


    ========================================================================== Despite all the bad news the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon the world,
    it has helped us gain a better perspective of our readiness to fend off
    highly contagious diseases. Rapid diagnostic test kits and PCR testing
    quickly became essential tools when the pandemic hit, helping with timely diagnoses. However, these tools have inherent limitations. PCR tests are complex and require expensive equipment while rapid diagnostic test kits
    have lower accuracy.

    Against this backdrop, a research group led by Professor Young Min Song
    of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea has recently developed a new technique to easily visualize viruses using an optical microscope. A recent study explains in detail the operating principle of
    their detection platform, called the "Gires-Tournois immunoassay platform" (GTIP). This paper was made available online on March 22, 2022, and was published in the journal Advanced Materials on March 26, 2022.

    The key element of GTIP is the Gires-Tournois "resonance structure," a
    film made from three stacked layers of specific materials that produce a peculiar optical phenomenon called "slow light." Because of how incident
    light rebounds inside the resonant layers before being reflected, the
    color of the platform seen through an optical microscope appears very
    uniform. However, nanometer- sized virus particles affect the resonance frequency of GTIP in their immediate vicinity by slowing down the light
    that gets reflected around them. The "slow light" manifests as a vivid
    color change in the reflected light so that, when viewed through the microscope, the virus particle clusters look like "islands" of a different color compared to the background.

    To ensure that their system only detects coronavirus particles, the
    researchers coated the top layer of GTIP with antibody proteins specific
    to SARS-CoV-2.

    Interestingly, not only did the system enable the detection of viral
    particles, but, by using colorimetric analysis techniques, the researchers could even effectively quantify the number of virus particles present
    in different areas of a sample depending on the color of the light
    reflected locally.

    The overall simplicity of the design is one of the main selling points
    of GTIP.

    As Prof. Song explains, "Compared to existing COVID-19 diagnostic
    methods, our approach enables rapid detection and quantification of
    SARS-CoV-2 without needing extra sample treatments, such as amplification
    and labeling." Given that optical microscopes are available in most laboratories, the method developed by the group could become a valuable
    and ubiquitous diagnostic and virus research tool.

    Furthermore, GTIP is not limited to detecting viruses or strictly
    dependent on antibodies; any other binding agent works as well, helping visualize all kinds of particles that interact with light. "Our strategy
    can even be applied for a dynamic monitoring of target particles sprayed
    in the air or dispersed on surfaces. We believe that this approach could
    be the basis for next-generation biosensing platforms, enabling simple
    yet accurate detection," concludes Prof.

    Song.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by GIST_(Gwangju_Institute_of_Science_and_Technology). Note: Content may
    be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Young Jin Yoo, Joo Hwan Ko, Gil Ju Lee, Jiwon Kang, Min Seok Kim,
    Stefan
    G. Stanciu, Hyeon‐Ho Jeong, Dae‐Hyeong Kim, Young
    Min Song.

    Gires-Tournois Immunoassay Platform for Label‐Free
    Bright‐Field Imaging and Facile Quantification of
    Bioparticles.

    Advanced Materials, 2022; 2110003 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202110003 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220421094151.htm

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