New nanoparticle discovery may eliminate cold storage for some tests
Thursday, January 5, 2017 - 10:31
in Health & Medicine
Many diagnostic tests use antibodies to help confirm a myriad of medical conditions, from Zika infections to heart ailments and even some forms of cancer. Antibodies capture and help detect proteins, enzymes, bacteria and viruses present in injuries and illnesses, and must be kept at a constant low temperature to ensure their viability—often requiring refrigeration powered by electricity. This can make diagnostic testing in underdeveloped countries, disaster or remote areas and even war zones extremely expensive and difficult.