GMU Assistant Professor Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall and others at George Mason University’s Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases were in the news yesterday, discussing their cutting-edge research on NanoTrap particles. The NanoTrap particles are capable of capturing and inactivating the virus in question, even when working with very low titers. Use of the NanoParticles with Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV), which is considered a potential bioterrorist agent, resulted in a 100-fold increase in sensitivity.
Excerpt of the study’s conclusion (published in PLOS): “This study demonstrates NanoTrap particles are capable of capturing, enriching, and protecting RVFV virions. Furthermore, the use of NanoTrap particles can be extended to a variety of viruses, including VEEV and HIV.”
Read the full article here.
(image credit: CDC/USG)