New Sensor to Detect Novel Coronavirus in Wastewater

Context

UK and Indian scientists have jointly developed a low-cost sensor that can detect fragments of the virus responsible for COVID-19 within wastewater.

About the newly developed sensor

• Developed: It is developed by researchers from the University of Strathclyde and IIT Bombay.
• Sensitivity: The sensor is able to detect the genetic material at concentrations as low as 10 picograms per microlitre.
• User friendly:The sensor can be used with portable equipment that uses the standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
  • It doesn’t need the infrastructure needed for real-time quantitative PCR tests,.
• Significance:
  • The sensor could be used to monitor the COVID-19 prevalence in low- and middle-income countries which struggle to conduct mass human testing.
  • Testing wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2’s nucleic acid is a widely recognised tool to identify areas where case numbers are likely to  increase.
  • It then supports more targeted action to be taken to limit viral spread in specific regions.
• Low cost: current gold-standard method of real-time PCR testing requires expensive laboratory equipment and skilled scientists to complete.
• Applicability:The method we have developed is not just applicable to SARS-CoV-2, it could be applied to any other virus so it’s very versatile