Structurally Designed DNA Star Creates Ultra-Sensitive Test for Dengue Virus

Date posted
Funding Agency
(Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation)

By folding snippets of DNA into the shape of a five-pointed star using structural DNA nanotechnology, researchers have created a trap that captures Dengue virus as it floats in the bloodstream. Once sprung, the trap—which is non-toxic and is naturally cleared from the body—lights up. It's the most sensitive test for the mosquito-borne diseases yet devised.