Scientists from the University of Maryland School of
Medicine (UMSOM) developed an experimental diagnostic test for
COVID-19 that can visually detect the presence of the virus in 10
minutes. It uses a simple assay containing plasmonic gold
nanoparticles to detect a color change when the virus is present.
The test does not require the use of any advanced laboratory
techniques, such as those commonly used to amplify DNA, for
analysis. The authors published their work last week in the
American Chemical Society’s nanotechnology journal ACS
Nano.