Rice University develops 2 new innovative tools to detect COVID-19

CultureMap logo
Friday, February 26, 2021
Houston officials use new techniques to detect virus variants
ABC13 sat down with the city of Houston's health authority to see how the variant can impact COVID-19 testing and the vaccine.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Rice University is once again spearheading research and solutions in the ongoing battle with COVID-19. The "Ivy League of the South" school announced two developing innovations: a "real-time sensor" to detect the virus and a cellphone tool that can detect the disease in less than an hour.



SEE ALSO: Houston health officials use new techniques to detect COVID-19 variants



Sensing COVID-19



Researchers at Rice received funding for up to $1 million to develop the real-time sensor that promises to detect minute amounts of the airborne virus.



Teams at Rice and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston are working to develop a thin film electronic device that senses as few as eight SARS-CoV-2 viruses in 10 minutes of sampling air flowing at 8 liters per minute, per a press release.



For more on this story visit our partners at Culturemap.