Biochip could diagnose flu strains in minutes

Their invention raises hopes for containing and treating viruses on the battlefield more quickly, a goal that the Pentagon’s research arm has been eyeing.

The researchers’ biochip simplifies genetic amplification, a process of making copies of a specific DNA sequence, which is needed to identify the makeup of a sample of blood or tissue. The device uses magnetic beads to isolate genetic strands that need to be replicated. Previously, specialized and temperature-controlling equipment was needed for the process.

This means that diagnosis of viruses can take place in minutes on a handheld device, far from a lab, the article says. The findings were released in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.