Harvard University Professor Develops Ebola Test Costing Less Than $1

Jim Collins

Photo by: Courtesy Photo

[From article]
A Harvard researcher and his team have developed a prototype Ebola test that could detect the virus in 30 minutes and cost less than $1 to reproduce.
Jim Collins, a professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, said he and his team created the test in 12 hours, using just $20 of materials.
“We’re keen to see if we can move the technology out into the field to address the (Ebola) crisis,” Collins said.
The test takes molecules inside a cell drawn from a saliva or blood sample and then drops them on a pocket-sized piece of paper that contains freeze-dried biosensors — molecular switches that are activated in the presence of molecules of the Ebola virus. If, after 30 minutes, the paper turns from yellow to purple, the sample is positive for Ebola.
Collins said the team still has to ensure a low false-positive rate with the test and make it more sensitive so that it would work even with a smaller amount of viral molecules before it will be ready to be field-tested.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2014/10/harvard_prof_develops_fast_cheap_prototype_ebola_test

Harvard prof develops fast, cheap prototype Ebola test
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
By: Marie Szaniszlo
Boston Herald