Crystal listens for telltale sounds of virus

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.