Because of its high accuracy, laboratory-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is the gold standard for infectious disease diagnostics. Yet PCR requires highly trained staff and costly equipment, hindering its availability, especially in low-resource settings. New research suggests a different kind of test could be more streamlined without sacrificing performance.
A platform technology developed by researchers at the University of Connecticut uses similar techniques as PCR, but within a handheld device rather than several benchtop machines. In a study published in Advanced Science, the authors found that the tool could detect two viruses, HIV and SARS-CoV-2, at a similar level of performance as PCR. With advantages of cost, speed, and portability over traditional methods, the new technology could make powerful diagnostics for infectious disease more widespread.