KIST’s technology detects Covid-19 variants using THz waves
Korean researchers have developed a technology to detect Covid-19 variants using terahertz (THz) waves.
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said Drs on Tuesday. Seo Mi-nah and Song Hyun-seok at Sensor System Research Center used label-free THz metamaterials to discriminate Covid-19 virus variants rapidly and accurately.
THz metamaterials function in the THz electromagnetic waves. At a specific frequency, their transmittance or reflectance are amplified.
The biomarker detecting technology uses a highly sensitive, label-free THz metamaterial center that detects the protein unit, which plays a key role in viral penetration without changing the properties of the virus.
This technology can supplement the shortcomings of conventional PCR tests and rapid antigen tests. Although PCR tests are highly accurate, it takes more than four hours to get the result. Rapid antigen tests produce results within 20 minutes, but their accuracy is low.
The research team said THz electromagnetic waves have a very wide frequency band and can be used for spectroscopy, sensitive to natural vibrations of biomolecules, to interpret unique information and differences in biological samples such as DNA and amino acids.
As the probability of THz interacting with biosamples is low, and there is no technology to amplify the signals, it is difficult to detect in vivo samples directly.
The research team used metamaterials that amplify signals in a specific band of electromagnetic waves to overcome this shortcoming to develop a biomolecule diagnosis platform. This was to identify THz signals even in an extremely small quantity.
After specifying amino acids with excellent absorption in the THz band, the research team created THz metamaterials to amplify the signal. Then, they dispersed the samples on the surface of the metamaterials and analyzed the constant optical value of the samples to observe the THz signal change.
The results showed that the research team could infer the sample characteristics and amounts, such as detection and charge amount, polarity, and hydrophobicity index of the monomer, within several minutes.
Also, they could identify virus variants with similar structures by detecting changes in amino acid units.
“It will become possible to use THz analysis to develop a diagnostic technology to detect an infectious disease and trace virus variants,” Dr. Seo said.
The study, titled “Detection and discrimination of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-derived peptides using THz metamaterials,” was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
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