After successfully testing a device that can hear the movement of a single virus from a drop of fluid, researchers envision a handheld instrument that could detect viral illnesses such as foot-and-mouth disease and Ebola.
A vibrating quartz crystal can hear a virus popping off the crystal’s surface. Cooper et al./Nature Biotechnology
The investigators suggest that their acoustic detector could be quicker and more economical than current assays used to identify viruses in blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.