A+New+Paper+Based+Test+for+the+Zika+Virus

Trafton, Anne. "A New Paper-based Test for the Zika Virus." MIT News. N.p., 6 May 2016. Web. 11 June 2016.

The MIT institution and several others have come up with a strategy to detect the Zika virus. Many patients are being diagnosed with the Zika virus by undergoing tests that see if their blood contains antibodies against Zika, having doctors search for pieces of the viral genome in their blood, or using the polymerase chain reaction test. These tests can take days or weeks to show results of the virus being present in the patient’s system. The paper-based test may take only a few hours to detect and helps diagnose patients more quickly as well as efficiently. Since the Zika virus is very similar to the dengue virus, the antibody test is incapable of distinguishing the two viruses. The paper-based test is also inexpensive in comparison to the tests that are being used now on patients. James Collins, the Termeer professor at MIT, and his colleagues developed sensors that are embedded in paper discs. These paper discs can detect 24 different RNA sequences that exist in the Zika viral genome composed of RNA. When the Zika RNA sequence is present, the paper disc turns from yellow to purple due to a series of interactions.