'Bio filter paper' detects diseases

摘要

Discs of souped-up filter paper embedded with DNA from jellyfish and other organisms could change how we diagnose infections. To demonstrate the power of the approach, the method has been used to successfully identify two strains ofEbola. Although far from being ready for testing in West Africa, the discs are being developed for potential use as a cheap, simple method to identify infected people. "It's a very clear and important practical extension of synthetic biology, opening up a whole generation of new technologies for diagnosis," says Jim Collins of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.