Engineers have developed a handheld paper divide able to detect a strain of coronavirus quickly and accurately. The strain, MERS-CoV, can be detected by the device in very small quantities, and can be read directly from the device making it portable.
As one of the select few given permission by USA health officials to use diagnostics tests for COVID-19, the Purdue University biomedical engineers claimed that this device could be used to detect the COVID-29 strain – the limitations in doing so currently is the lack of funding. According to the team, the process to scale the technology for manufacturing would cost at least a couple of million US dollars.
‘Paper-based devices are already manufactured – pregnancy tests are paper-based,’ said Purdue University Biomedical Engineering Professor, Jacqueline Linnes.
‘Because this device has a more complex shape, a process hasn’t been developed to make it available on a commercial scale. However, many processes in electronics and paper manufacturing could be translated to scaling up this device.’
But so far, Linnes’ team has just been able to produce these devices on a lab scale, which calls for cutting out the paper components by hand.
‘The most difficult aspect of producing this device is definitely the assembly,’ said Purdue University Biomedical Engineering PhD Cadidate, K Byers.
This time-lapse video shows how a paper device developed by Purdue researchers tests a sample in 40 minutes. This sample is positive for MERS-CoV, as indicated by the formation of a second line on the paper strip. Credit: Purdue University video/K Byers
These challenges may easily be overcome with existing manufacturing techniques, the researchers said.
The device format would not need to change in order to detect other diseases. As the device scales up, however, it would also need to be more sensitive to detect a lower concentration of a virus for clinical relevance.
‘This paper device isn’t dependent on a particular virus or sequence. To detect COVID-19, we would just need an assay design specific to that sequence, which could come from a nasal or throat swap sample. Just like with MERS-CoV, a user could load the assay with liquid into the paper platform, fold the device and let it run,’ Linnes said.
When the device folds over, a liquid wash and chemical substances called reagents push the assay up a paper strip to make an easily visible detection line. This automatically completes a multistep process needed for detecting a virus. A user can check the strip within 40 minutes to see if the sample tested positive.
Here is a roundup on some of the most recent research and scientific efforts against the coronavirus.
Novartis:
Novartis has reached an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration to proceed with a phase III clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized Covid-19 patients. The large trial will be conducted at more than a dozen sites in the US and tested on approximately 440 patients to evaluate the use for this treatment.
Additionally, Norvatis plans to make its hydroxychloroquine intellectual property available to support broad access to hydroxychloroquine. Read more here.
Causaly
Causaly, an innovative technology company that harnesses AI to interpret vast databases of biomedical knowledge, is collaborating with UCL academics to increase research on potential therapeutic agents and the identification of biomarkers.
Several researchers and research groups within UCL have been granted access to Causaly technology, allowing them the access to rapidly analyse and derive insights from biomedical literature.
As part of the UK’s wider efforts to support the development of a vaccine, a new government-led Vaccine Taskforce will soon be launched to drive forward the manufacturing and research efforts to fight the virus.
The government will review regulations to facilitate fast and safe vaccine trials, as well as operational plans, to ensure a vaccine can be produced at a large scale when it becomes available. Industry and academic institutions will be given the resources and support needed.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said, ‘UK scientists are working as fast as they can to find a vaccine that fights coronavirus, saving and protecting people’s lives. We stand firmly behind them in their efforts. The Vaccine Taskforce is key to coordinating efforts to rapidly accelerate the development and manufacture of a potential new vaccine.’ Read more here.
A new biosensor for the COVID-19 virus
Research teams at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed an alternative test method in the form of an optical biosensor. The sensor made up of gold nanostructure, known as gold nonoislands on a glass substrate, combines two different effects to detect covid-19: an optical and a thermal one.
According to the release, ‘Artificially produced DNA receptors that match specific RNA sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 [virus] are grafted onto the nanoislands,’ and researchers will then use the optical phenomena, - localised surface plasmon resonance - to monitor the presence of the virus.
The biosensor is not yet ready to be used to monitor and detect COVID-19, however tests showed the sensor can distinguish between very similar RNA sequences of SARS-CoV-2 virus and its relative, SARS-Cov. Read more here.
For more information and more updates on the coronavirus, please visit our hubhere.
What does Ebola actually do? By Kelly Servick, 13 August 2014 || Science/AAAS | News
Behind the unprecedented Ebola outbreak in West Africa lies a species with an incredible power to overtake its host.
Zaire ebolavirus and the family of filoviruses to which it belongs owe their virulence to mechanisms that first disarm the immune response and then dismantle the vascular system.
The virus progresses so quickly that researchers have struggled to tease out the precise sequence of events, particularly in the midst of an outbreak. Much is still unknown, including the role of some of the seven proteins that the virus’s RNA makes by hijacking the machinery of host cells and the type of immune response necessary to defeat the virus before it spreads throughout the body. But researchers can test how the live virus attacks different cells in culture and can observe the disease’s progression in nonhuman primates—a nearly identical model to humans.
Continue reading to find out some of the basic things we understand about how Ebola and humans interact …
If they’re concerned, and speaking publicly about it, and especially that they’re talking to their family about their concerns, then you should already be taking early measures and start to take mental and physical stock. Will you be okay if the worst happens and you can’t or don’t want to leave your home for an extended period of time?
Now is the time to prepare, BEFORE the S H’s the F, when the stores are all stocked, life is normal and services, amenities and logictics are running at a normal capacity.
This isn’t to fear monger. It’s to bring the reality of disasters to light and ensure you are prepared.
If they’re concerned, and speaking publicly about it, and especially that they’re talking to their family about their concerns, then you should already be taking early measures and start to take mental and physical stock. Will you be okay if the worst happens and you can’t or don’t want to leave your home for an extended period of time?
Now is the time to prepare, BEFORE the S H’s the F, when the stores are all stocked, life is normal and services, amenities and logictics are running at a normal capacity.
This isn’t to fear monger. It’s to bring the reality of disasters to light and ensure you are prepared.
What does Ebola actually do? By Kelly Servick, 13 August 2014 || Science/AAAS | News
Behind the unprecedented Ebola outbreak in West Africa lies a species with an incredible power to overtake its host.
Zaire ebolavirus and the family of filoviruses to which it belongs owe their virulence to mechanisms that first disarm the immune response and then dismantle the vascular system.
The virus progresses so quickly that researchers have struggled to tease out the precise sequence of events, particularly in the midst of an outbreak. Much is still unknown, including the role of some of the seven proteins that the virus’s RNA makes by hijacking the machinery of host cells and the type of immune response necessary to defeat the virus before it spreads throughout the body. But researchers can test how the live virus attacks different cells in culture and can observe the disease’s progression in nonhuman primates—a nearly identical model to humans.
Continue reading to find out some of the basic things we understand about how Ebola and humans interact …
News reliability in the internet age has been under the scrutiny with the increasing spread of data access especially through social platforms. User-created content is part of this phenomenon where source integrity has become questionable, distinctively in the wake of the weaponization of information through channels.
Lately the contradicting data over the COVID-19 outbreak has forged many questions over numbers, locations, and precautions. We had news China knew ahead of this threat but didn’t act properly, yet the fear of a global pandemic is quickly spreading through the media.
Wether it’s politics, economy, or the latest health news over the Corona virus, I’m finding difficult understanding the structure of the information. The news scenarios can at this point be in these conditions:
facts are being misrepresented by Chinese authorities;
western media is using information to gain leverage on China;
reality has countries unable to make sense of the situation of the pandemic.
All these scenarios might not just happen singularly and that would be worrisome; however, the product of the information in this age is the depth of confusion we are in that won’t allow us to see through anything. At this point what to believe: the Corona virus is manageable or data is faulty?
I’m getting newsfeed form expat aquaintances living in China how the western media is blowing numbers, and perhaps we know the story that selling newspapers copies and clickbaits is profitable for the media. Now we have little to no clues how warped the situation is because we are supposed ot believe the WHO’s data, but also the information coming from national sources across Europe.
Now I can ask myself if technology can come to the rescue and help us track the spread of the virus over the last two months. So far we know SARS in 2003 had a higher contagion effect and that at a certain point it was contained. Opposite is the scenario we have with the current health crisis from Asia where the issue of censorship in China might have played a key role. The spread of the Corona virus went under the radar until its reach went quasi global, landing as far as Italy and Egypt.
Northern Italy is in now on alert with major public events like the famous carnival of Venice cancelled. Schools, universities, and certain public places are shut down until further notice. Efforts to stop the spread of this virus are underway as Italy managed to isolate the disease and a vaccine is being developed across nations.
Information is so crucial that if China really did censor the news of the spread we might look at our second major alarm bell; the first being how this nation has officially become a playground for technology in developing a Big Brother state. So if information was withheld it’s certain Beijing understood the full value of manifacturing and distribuiting technology for the rest of the world.
I’m a little skeptic over the quantity and quality of data that could have easily gotten filtered through the Internet Of Things, and refined via artificial intelligence to better track the spread of the virus. We have all the available tools in 2020 to put to the test our technology and track better information of useful human behavior, helping us prevent worst scenario for the near future.
This translated in being able to harness what you want to tell and not to tell through the very own decives your country has been manufacturing to the rest of the world. But this tells me that China might actually have all the truth over this disease, feeding fake news to specific targets in order to manipulate the information flow and therefore be in full control of the situation.
Though we didn’t reach the goal needed to included full-sized prints, we didhit the goal needed to go into production! We’ll be looked at other options for the print within our budget, andwe’ll be posting regular updates as we go through the production process.
There are 12 days left to pre-order your copy of Remembering Raccoon City: A Resident Evil Fanzine. If we get 12 more full bundle orders, we’re guaranteed to go into print!37 more and every purchase gets an exclusive print of the cover.
Remembering Raccoon City is currently halfwayto its secure funding goal. With 50 more full bundle orders, or the equivalent, we’ll be able to give every pre-order a print of the cover!
Designed by @fluorescentwolf, this beautiful piece showcases the loneliness and isolation felt by the few survivors during the last days of Raccoon City. And we’ll be giving away free, full-size prints of it once we hit our goal!
In just under four days, we’re halfway to our minimum funding goal and almost halfway to our maximum funding goal.
What does this mean?
If we hit our maximum goal, every pre-order will receive a print of the cover designed by @fluorescentwolf! If you want to secure a print for yourself, order today!
The shop will be open until 11:59 pm EST, 31 October 2021! With four tiers, there’s something for everyone:
SPADE: Digital PDF - $10 USD CLUB: Digital PDF, Book - $20 USD DIAMOND: Digital PDF, Book, 2″ Acrylic Keychain, 2 2″ Vinyl Stickers, A6 Vinyl Sticker Sheet, 2″ Enamel Pin - $40 USD HEART:NSFW Mini-PDF - $7 USD
Don’t miss your chance to get a guaranteed copy of the book and all merch! Once the pre-order ends, supplies will be limited and first come, first serve.
Visit our >>>BigCartel<<< between now and 31 October 2021 to buy all things Raccoon City! You won’t want to miss your chance to purchase a guaranteed copy of the zine and all merchandise.
If you’re at all interested in a Resident Evil zine featuring a lot of really awesome art (with an embroidery design from me!) and fics all about the final days of Raccoon City, you really should check out @rrczine! PREORDERS OPEN HERE!! COME GET YOURSELF A COPY!
the preorders for ‘remembering raccoon city’ zine are open!!! @rrczine
it’s been so amazing to work with such a talented group of people and i’m really proud of my own piece too! i wanted to give a spotlight to re2 because that game really got me into the franchise. wonder what sherry might be looking at?
Visit our >>>BigCartel<<< between now and 31 October 2021 to buy all things Raccoon City! You won’t want to miss your chance to purchase a guaranteed copy of the zine and all merchandise.
Our final tier isHEART, our sultry 18+ mini-zine! Featuring four artists and three writers, this light-weight PDF is perfect for a titillating quick read!
Our third tier is DIAMOND! This tier includes the full package: PDF, book, acrylic keychain, enamel pin, two vinyl stickers, and an A6 sticker sheet! It’s the collector’s edition, and the perfect complement to all things Resident Evil.
Our second tier is CLUB, which comes with the digital PDF and a physical book! The books is 5.5″ x 8.5″ and comes perfect bound with a soft, matte cover. It’s the perfect size for a coffee table or to put in a bag for on-the-go reading!
