• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Sunday, August 17, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Biology

Ultra-absorptive nanofiber swabs could improve SARS-CoV-2 test sensitivity

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 27, 2021
in Biology
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: Adapted from Nano Letters 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04956

Rapid, sensitive diagnosis of COVID-19 is essential for early treatment, contact tracing and reducing viral spread. However, some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 receive false-negative test results, which might put their and others’ health at risk. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have developed ultra-absorptive nanofiber swabs that could reduce the number of false-negative tests by improving sample collection and test sensitivity.

Currently, the most sensitive test for COVID-19 involves using a long swab to collect a specimen from deep inside a patient’s nose, and then using a method called reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA. But if the viral load is low, which can occur early in the course of infection, the swab might not pick up enough virus to be detectable. Jingwei Xie and colleagues wanted to develop a nanofiber swab that could absorb and then release more viruses and other biological specimens, improving the sensitivity of diagnostic tests.

The researchers used an electrospinning technique to make 1-cm-long cylinders composed of aligned nanofiber layers, which they coated with a thin layer of gelatin and bonded to plastic swab sticks. In lab tests, the porous nanofiber cylinders absorbed and released more proteins, cells, bacteria, DNA and viruses from liquids and surfaces than the cotton or flocked swabs commonly used for COVID-19 testing. The team made dilutions of SARS-CoV-2 virus, swabbed the liquid samples and tested for viral RNA with RT-PCR. Compared with the two other types of swabs, the nanofiber ones reduced the false-negative rate and detected SARS-CoV-2 at a 10-times lower concentration. In addition to allowing more accurate and sensitive COVID-19 testing, the nanofiber swabs have far-reaching potential in diagnosing other diseases, testing for foodborne illnesses and helping forensic teams identify crime suspects from miniscule biological specimens, the researchers say.

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the UNMC College of Medicine COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants.

The paper’s abstract will be available on January 27 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04956

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact [email protected].

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

Media Contact
Katie Cottingham
[email protected]

Tags: BiotechnologyChemistry/Physics/Materials SciencesDiagnosticsInfectious/Emerging DiseasesNanotechnology/MicromachinesVirology
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Unveiling Ancient Insights Behind Modern Cytoskeleton Evolution

Unveiling Ancient Insights Behind Modern Cytoskeleton Evolution

August 15, 2025
blank

Researchers Identify Molecular “Switch” Driving Chemoresistance in Blood Cancer

August 15, 2025

First Real-Time Recording of Human Embryo Implantation Achieved

August 15, 2025

Ecophysiology and Spread of Freshwater SAR11-IIIb

August 15, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Molecules in Focus: Capturing the Timeless Dance of Particles

    140 shares
    Share 56 Tweet 35
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    79 shares
    Share 32 Tweet 20
  • Modified DASH Diet Reduces Blood Sugar Levels in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes, Clinical Trial Finds

    59 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Predicting Colorectal Cancer Using Lifestyle Factors

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Mpox Virus Impact in SIVmac239-Infected Macaques

Epigenetic Mechanisms Shaping Thyroid Cancer Therapy

Seismic Analysis of Masonry Facades via Imaging

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.