ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Researchers at the University of Georgia have found a way to diagnose the flu using gold nanoparticles.
UGA researcher Ralph Tripp says he and other scientists could detect the influenza virus in minutes by coating gold nanoparticles in antibodies and then measuring how the particles scattered laser light. Currently used methods of testing for flu can take several days or aren't as consistent at detecting the virus.
Tripp and co-author Jared Driskell from the UGA Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center say they hope to make it easier to diagnose the flu, which would help halt the spread of the virus during flu season.
They said the technique could be used to detect other diseases, like salmonella in poultry.
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