Fast, Paper-Based COVID-19 Test Developed at NYU Abu Dhabi

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi have created a new, simple test that can find COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in less than 10 minutes. This test does not need any expensive machines or special skills to use.

The test is called the Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip, or RCP-Chip for short. It was made by a team at the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab). The RCP-Chip is fast, cheap, and easy to carry around, so it can be used anywhere to check for infections.

This special paper chip can detect tiny amounts of virus material using just a small drop of fluid. When the virus is found, the chip changes color, making it easy to see the result.

The RCP-Chip works without electricity or special tools. It only needs a little heat, about 65°C, which is like warm water.

The research about this test is shared in a paper called Single-Layer Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) for Rapid Isothermal Multiplex Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Gene Targets. It was published in the journal Advanced Sensor Research. The study shows that the RCP-Chip can quickly and accurately find many types of infectious diseases, especially in places where there are fewer resources.

Mohammad A. Qasaimeh, a professor at NYU Abu Dhabi and one of the main researchers, said, “The RCP-Chip is made to help people everywhere. It can be changed to test for other diseases, so it’s a strong tool for health around the world.”

Pavithra Sukumar, a research assistant at NYU Abu Dhabi and co-author of the study, said, “This is a fast, affordable test that does not need a lab and finds many gene targets in under 10 minutes. What makes it special is how it can help in real life. This small test can help stop outbreaks by finding infections quickly, so people can get treatment and avoid spreading the disease.”