<p>Scientists are developing a portable, battery-powered device that could provide the fastest tuberculosis diagnosis yet, taking less than half an hour to detect the bacteria.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Currently, a method called GeneXpert, can accurately detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA within a couple of hours, but it requires specialised equipment and trained personnel, making it impractical for rural areas or developing countries.<br /><br />Chemist Jianghong Rao of Stanford and microbiologist Jeffrey Cirillo of Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan have developed a chemical called CDG-3, which glows when it is broken down by an M tuberculosis enzyme called BlaC.<br /><br />The researchers found that they could detect as few as ten bacteria in a millilitre sample, 'nature.com' reported.<br /><br />They then tested the method on 50 sputum samples from people in Texas.<br /><br />It correctly identified all the samples that contained M tuberculosis visible under a microscope, and 80 per cent of those in which infections were not visible.<br /><br />When tested in people without TB, the CDG-3 probe diagnosed them correctly 73 per cent of the time.<br /><br />Rao and Cirillo are now working with diagnostics company GBDbio in Temple, Texas, to develop a portable, battery-powered device that measures the fluorescence coming from CDG-3 as it is broken down.<br /><br />Chief executive Michael Norman said that the company hopes to have the device completed and on the market in 2015.<br /><br />He expects that a single test will cost about USD 5, and will take less than 30 minutes to deliver a diagnosis. </p>
<p>Scientists are developing a portable, battery-powered device that could provide the fastest tuberculosis diagnosis yet, taking less than half an hour to detect the bacteria.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Currently, a method called GeneXpert, can accurately detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA within a couple of hours, but it requires specialised equipment and trained personnel, making it impractical for rural areas or developing countries.<br /><br />Chemist Jianghong Rao of Stanford and microbiologist Jeffrey Cirillo of Texas A&M Health Science Center in Bryan have developed a chemical called CDG-3, which glows when it is broken down by an M tuberculosis enzyme called BlaC.<br /><br />The researchers found that they could detect as few as ten bacteria in a millilitre sample, 'nature.com' reported.<br /><br />They then tested the method on 50 sputum samples from people in Texas.<br /><br />It correctly identified all the samples that contained M tuberculosis visible under a microscope, and 80 per cent of those in which infections were not visible.<br /><br />When tested in people without TB, the CDG-3 probe diagnosed them correctly 73 per cent of the time.<br /><br />Rao and Cirillo are now working with diagnostics company GBDbio in Temple, Texas, to develop a portable, battery-powered device that measures the fluorescence coming from CDG-3 as it is broken down.<br /><br />Chief executive Michael Norman said that the company hopes to have the device completed and on the market in 2015.<br /><br />He expects that a single test will cost about USD 5, and will take less than 30 minutes to deliver a diagnosis. </p>