New test to revolutionise disease detection in people, crops and stock

A single-drop DNA test invented by University of Queensland scientists could revolutionise the detection of diseases in humans, livestock and crops. 

The test works in a similar way to a pH test for swimming pools and gives a result in 90 minutes. It has been developed by researchers at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

AIBN's Professor Matt Trau said the test detected viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites in humans, crops and cattle and could be used by health workers or farmers in the field – saving lives, time and money.

"We've been able to take what would usually be done with complicated equipment in a centralised laboratory and miniaturise it into a single drop of fluid that farmers, for example, can use to get an almost immediate result in the field," Professor Trau said.

The test uses a single drop of liquid that changes colour if the test is positive. In its current form, the test can be made sensitive enough to detect even the smallest trace amounts of DNA or RNA, and it can also scan for multiple pathogens (bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms that cause disease) or cancer markers.