CSIRO scientists have found that by using quantum dots, they can create a portable sensor to detect the Hendra virus quickly.
The Hendra virus was discovered in 1994, and is a rare, emerging virus which is transmitted to humans from horses. Besides being a fatal disease for horses, it can cause respiratory and neurological disease and death in people.
The advances made by CSIRO Research Scientist Dr Paolo Falcaro and his team will be applicable not just to the Hendra virus, but will have implications for wider biosecurity effectiveness.
Current detection methods for the Hendra virus are mainly lab-based and require samples to be shipped to state or national testing labs. CSIRO's new method can deliver a positive or negative test result, under lab conditions, within 30 minutes.
The scientists hope to reduce the time needed to ten minutes in the future.
The team tested three new detection methods and found that by using quantum dots to increase the sensitivity of current analytics methods (assays), they were able to simplify the detection process.
While the core technology is the same Luminex type found in labs, the combination of quantum dots and magnetic nano-particles allows the same process to be carried out on a much smaller scale.
While further optimisation is needed, the technology can be used to detect any other virus by simply targeting the virus with the corresponding antibody.