The scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory claim to have developed a novel type of Biochip based on a somewhat old technology dubbed polymerase chain reaction. The lab-on-a-chip is expected to detect infectious disease strains in fewer than 15 minutes while testing protein arrays and in around two hours when testing nucleic acid arrays.
Every biochip features up to thousands of gel drops with each around the width of a human hair. Schabacker said:
The array of gel drops can be tailored to detect specific strains of infectious diseases or other biological organisms. Each drop can detect trace quantities of the agents for which they are specific.
The biochip system will be quite helpful for rapid diagnosis for diverse diagnostic needs.
Via: medgaget
