Professor Hwang Youngkyu's Team at Hoseo University Develops Naked-eye Virus Detection Sensor

Color Changes from Red to Green When Virus Passes Through the Filter
New Sensor Enables Naked-Eye Virus Detection Based on Size, Not Genes or Proteins

Hoseo University announced on the 15th that Professor Hwang Younggyu's research team has developed a sensor capable of detecting viruses with the naked eye.

According to the paper, the research team focused on the size of the virus, rather than its genes or proteins, to ensure detection even if the virus mutates.

Taking into account that the typical size of a virus is around 160nm (nanometers), they coated transparent plastic with gold and created a sieve-like filter by drilling holes with a diameter of 200nm.

In its default state, the sensor appears red, but when a virus passes through the filter and is captured in the nanostructure, the wavelength of reflected light changes, causing the sensor to appear green to the naked eye within about 15 minutes.

The color change is distinct enough to be observed without instruments, and no additional antibody coating or power supply is required.

Notably, the degree of response varies depending on the size of the virus, allowing for quantitative analysis by evaluating the results as RGB color values.

Experimental results showed a high sensitivity of 93.8% in detecting positive cases, while the specificity for negative cases was 57.1%, making the sensor more suitable as a primary filter to prevent the spread of viruses rather than for final diagnosis.

Professor Hwang explained, "We have developed a physics-based diagnostic platform that can accurately detect viruses based solely on their size," adding, "As new infectious diseases can emerge globally at any time, this technology could serve as a crucial turning point for early response."