Latest news with #MohammadQasaimeh
Khaleej Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Disease testing in 10 minutes? Abu Dhabi scientists develop affordable tool
A team of scientists at New York University Abu Dhabi has developed a paper-based diagnostic device that can detect infectious diseases in under 10 minutes. The Radially Compartmentalised Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) offers a fast, affordable, and portable solution for on-site screening of infectious diseases without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. Conceived during the early days of the Covid pandemic, the RCP-Chip was designed to address the urgent global need for efficient testing in low-resource and remote settings. 'Our goal was to create something fast, affordable, and easy to use, especially in areas where lab access is limited,' said Mohammad A. Qasaimeh, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering at NYUAD and the senior author of the study. Beyond Covid-19, the chip is easily reconfigurable to test for other viruses and bacteria which causes diseases like chickenpox, dengue and malaria. 'With minor modifications, it can be adapted to diagnose a wide range of diseases or even test hormones and metabolites,' he explained. 'What makes it truly impactful is its real-world potential,' said Pavithra Sukumar, NYUAD Research Assistant and co-first author. 'This portable test could significantly improve outbreak response by enabling faster isolation, treatment, and control.' How it works According to Qasaimeh, the handheld device can be mass-produced and utilised in places where resources are limited. 'It requires minimal number of reagents and sample to run,' he said. 'It needs a heating stage which is around 60 degrees Celsius. This can be achieved by means of a hot plate or an oven. These are commonly founded devices everywhere.' It uses saliva instead of swabs and can be sent to any area very quickly. 'In a short amount of time, you can deploy it for use,' he said. 'That was our other motivation when we were developing it.' Qasaimeh added that it took the team approximately two years to develop due to pandemic-related lab access restrictions. 'In the initial phase, we focused on designing the chip and brainstorming the approaches,' he said. 'After initial curfews, gradually they allowed us to have access to the labs. That is when we started testing the device and deepened the research.' The team has filed a patent and launched a startup to pursue commercialisation, with interest already shown by biotech firms. 'We aim to find investors so that we can continue with the development stage of the device, but this time with its translational potential,' said Qasaimeh. 'This is so that the device is ready to deploy in the markets for different purposes. This device can be modified to be used for other situations as well.'
Emirates 24/7
02-06-2025
- Health
- Emirates 24/7
NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop paper-based diagnostic tool for infectious disease detection
A team of scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a breakthrough paper-based diagnostic device that can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. The Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip), engineered by researchers at the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab), offers a fast, affordable, and portable solution for on-site screening of infectious diseases. The RCP-Chip has been developed to detect even minute traces of viral genetic material using a droplet of fluid and a visible color change. It operates without electricity or special equipment, needing just a source of mild heat at around 65°C, similar to the temperature of warm water. The research is detailed in a paper titled Single-Layer Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) for Rapid Isothermal Multiplex Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Gene Targets, published in the journal Advanced Sensor Research. The study reports the development and validation of the RCP-Chip as a rapid, multiplexed diagnostic platform for infectious disease detection suitable for low-resource settings. NYUAD Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering and senior author Mohammad A. Qasaimeh said, 'The RCP-Chip is designed for real-world impact. It can be reconfigured to detect other infectious diseases, making it a powerful tool for global health.' 'This is a fast, affordable, lab-free test that detects multiple gene targets in under 10 minutes,' said NYUAD Research Assistant and co-first author of the study Pavithra Sukumar. 'What makes it truly impactful is its real-world potential. This portable test could significantly improve outbreak response by enabling faster isolation, treatment, and control.' Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
