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http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=9$0200000000$4199598&f=20091129
UNAM researcher develops portable virus detector
2:14 a.m.
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 28 (EL UNIVERSAL) .- Is it possible that in the years to come a device the size of a cell phone to tell us in just 25 seconds and with a sample of saliva or blood type of pathogen which affects us, be it a bacterium, a virus such as influenza A H1N1 or a parasite?.
At the Institute of Cellular Physiology, UNAM, Dr. Luis Alfonso Vaca Dominguez and develop a team with these features which could be ready for use in late 2010.
He has worked on this project for 15 years and during that time has obtained funding from international agencies like the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association of America.
Since Europe has reached the support of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Even the Department of Defense United States has funded the project because one of the first positive evidence of this equipment was made with the Anthrax bacillus.
"They (the Department of Defense) are interested in having a portable pathogen detection in airports, then we supported with millions of dollars and so we developed a prototype to show much stronger that it works, it is not science fiction .
We show them that we can detect Anthrax bacillus, that's something that caught the attention and we are waiting to see if they support'''', explains the researcher. While this support comes, Luis Alfonso Vaca won a million pesos from the Institute of Science and Technology City (ICyTDF) to advance the development of the prototype so far has proved very costly.
The money will be used to buy reagents, print probes that recognize the influenza genome, and to improve the software. The computer systems involving optics, biosensors, molecular biology and to the Internet, since what is sought is that this prototype can be sent from anywhere in their results to a central focus and classify the diagnostic results, for the authorities to have information continuous and instantaneous enabling them to act immediately in case of a contingency.
It is based on the identification of specific signatures of a genome to detect influenza, hepatitis or other pathogens. In the case of the flu, a throat swab or saliva sample contained very few viruses, but the team will have the ability to detect pathogens in a few shows, no need to replicate or amplify the genome of the pathogen.
"What we want to develop a team like glucose meters that found in pharmacies, for which a drop of blood bags, put it and tells you how your glucose level on a screen.
We want to do the same to identify influenza'''', explain. - When is retail it will be an expensive product as is the glucose test? - Was questioned. - It would be a team player equivalent to glucose, which would cost maybe 2 thousand or 3 thousand dollars.
But this team is not designed for what you have in your home. The idea of this team is that may exist in airports, bus stations, shopping centers, hospitals and clinics. It could even be used by health brigades in areas of difficult access, the team could send via Internet the diagnosis result to the Ministry of Health or by cell phone.
"I could read a virus that has mutated? - Yes, provided the mutation rate is not too high. All viruses mutate not only the A H1N1, but not 100% of their genome, we will identify those features that do not mutate the specialist says that compared with other countries "right now we are on the edge of competition''''.
UNAM researcher develops portable virus detector
2:14 a.m.
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 28 (EL UNIVERSAL) .- Is it possible that in the years to come a device the size of a cell phone to tell us in just 25 seconds and with a sample of saliva or blood type of pathogen which affects us, be it a bacterium, a virus such as influenza A H1N1 or a parasite?.
At the Institute of Cellular Physiology, UNAM, Dr. Luis Alfonso Vaca Dominguez and develop a team with these features which could be ready for use in late 2010.
He has worked on this project for 15 years and during that time has obtained funding from international agencies like the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association of America.
Since Europe has reached the support of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Even the Department of Defense United States has funded the project because one of the first positive evidence of this equipment was made with the Anthrax bacillus.
"They (the Department of Defense) are interested in having a portable pathogen detection in airports, then we supported with millions of dollars and so we developed a prototype to show much stronger that it works, it is not science fiction .
We show them that we can detect Anthrax bacillus, that's something that caught the attention and we are waiting to see if they support'''', explains the researcher. While this support comes, Luis Alfonso Vaca won a million pesos from the Institute of Science and Technology City (ICyTDF) to advance the development of the prototype so far has proved very costly.
The money will be used to buy reagents, print probes that recognize the influenza genome, and to improve the software. The computer systems involving optics, biosensors, molecular biology and to the Internet, since what is sought is that this prototype can be sent from anywhere in their results to a central focus and classify the diagnostic results, for the authorities to have information continuous and instantaneous enabling them to act immediately in case of a contingency.
It is based on the identification of specific signatures of a genome to detect influenza, hepatitis or other pathogens. In the case of the flu, a throat swab or saliva sample contained very few viruses, but the team will have the ability to detect pathogens in a few shows, no need to replicate or amplify the genome of the pathogen.
"What we want to develop a team like glucose meters that found in pharmacies, for which a drop of blood bags, put it and tells you how your glucose level on a screen.
We want to do the same to identify influenza'''', explain. - When is retail it will be an expensive product as is the glucose test? - Was questioned. - It would be a team player equivalent to glucose, which would cost maybe 2 thousand or 3 thousand dollars.
But this team is not designed for what you have in your home. The idea of this team is that may exist in airports, bus stations, shopping centers, hospitals and clinics. It could even be used by health brigades in areas of difficult access, the team could send via Internet the diagnosis result to the Ministry of Health or by cell phone.
"I could read a virus that has mutated? - Yes, provided the mutation rate is not too high. All viruses mutate not only the A H1N1, but not 100% of their genome, we will identify those features that do not mutate the specialist says that compared with other countries "right now we are on the edge of competition''''.