Scientists have designed a test that can detect not only any known virus type and subtype but also virus outbreaks.
A research team led by the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis (WUSTL) condensed nearly 1 billion base pairs of viral DNA sequences to create a test that they call ViroCap.
“With this test, you don’t have to know what you’re looking for. It casts a broad net and can efficiently detect viruses that are present at very low levels. We think the test will be especially useful in situations where a diagnosis remains elusive after standard testing or in situations in which the cause of a disease outbreak is unknown,” said research associate Professor Gregory Storch.
To develop the test, the researchers targeted unique stretches of DNA or RNA from every known group of viruses that infects vertebrates – including 2 million unique stretches of genetic material. The stretches of material were used as probes which can pluck out viruses from a sample and find a genetic match. The matched viral material was then analyzed by high-throughput genetic sequencing.
Read more: Novel test can detect any virus
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| New test can detect any virus that infects vertebrates |
Source: labnews
