Easy to Read HIV Test

Oct-30-12 A new HIV test able to deliver results visible to the naked eye could greatly benefit impoverished countries that lack sophisticated laboratories.

Developed by a team at Imperial College London, the test involves adding serum from a blood sample to a solution of gold nanoparticles that react in a specific way when exposed to the HIV biomarker p24. If p24 is present, the nanoparticles will gather in an irregular pattern that turns the solution blue, while the absence of p24 will cause the nanoparticles to separate into ball shapes and turn the mixture red.

The simple, inexpensive test could also be altered to detect other diseases, such as tuberculosis, prostate cancer and malaria.

Image: Ezran Kamal

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[POPSCI.COM]

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