Chip based technology for Ebola detection devised
Q. Scientists have developed chip based technology integrated into portable instrument for using in field situations to detect which disease?- Published on 26 Sep 15a. Malaria
b. Tetanus
c. Ebola
d. Typhoid
ANSWER: Ebola
Researchers have come up with chip based technology which can be included in portable instruments for use in the field to detect Ebola. System is sensitive and accurate enough to provide valuable clinical assay. Current standard for Ebola virus detection is based on the PCR method/polymerase chain reaction to amplify the genetic material of the virus for detection. PCR works on DNA molecules and Ebola is an RNA virus. This is why the reverse transcriptase enzyme is used to make DNA copies of the viral RNA before PCR amplification and detection. But the PCR detection system is more complex and requires use of labs against current method Schmidt's lab at UC Santa Cruz worked with scientists at Brigham Young University and UC Berkeley for setting up the system. Virologists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio put together the viral samples for testing. System included a microfluidic chip for sample preparation and an optofluidic chip for optical detection.
