The industry-academia collaboration team consisting of Murata Seisakusho, Osaka University, Chubu University, Kagawa University, and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine is the world's largest comprehensive exhibition and technical conference on nanotechnology "nano tech 2018" (February 2-14, Tokyo Big Sight). Received the Industry-Academia Collaboration Award at the site).The reason for the award is the development of technology that can measure influenza virus in a short time using a palm-sized sensor.
If saliva or feces is attached to this sensor, it can be detected in a few minutes if it contains several viruses.With the conventional technology, it could not be detected unless the number of viruses was increased to about 100 million.The new sensor, for example, can prevent imports from overseas if it is found that it contains a virus that infects humans by inspecting the feces of dead birds.If a dead bird is infected at the zoo, you can take immediate action and you don't have to leave the zoo for a long time as before.Currently, the purpose is to test for bird flu that infects humans, but it is possible to deal with various viruses by changing the type of sugar chain.The research team is also aiming to develop a small sensor that can detect various virus infections even with sighs.
The sensor used was graphene (sheet-like carbon molecule), a carbon material that won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.The surface of graphene is modified with human-derived sugar chains.When the sugar chain binds to the influenza virus contained in saliva, the current changes.The sensor has a USB terminal and can be powered by a personal computer. The company aims to put it into practical use within five years.
This time, the subject of the Industry-Academia Collaboration Award was the theme in CREST, one of the programs promoted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).The title is "Creation of a two-dimensional biological model platform using graphene with functionalized sugar chains".Professor Kazuhiko Matsumoto of Osaka University serves as the representative.
