Harnessing nanoparticles for COVID testing

Summary

KAUST researchers are developing a streamlined COVID-19 diagnostic testing method using superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The team, led by Assistant Professor Mo Li, aims to address reagent shortages and improve automation by creating an in-house extraction kit compatible with inactivated samples. Associate Professor Samir Hamdan identified a protocol for making silica-coated MNPs that survive inactivation reagents, enabling magnetic separation without centrifugation. Why it matters: This innovation could significantly increase testing capacity in Saudi Arabia and globally by reducing biosafety risks, reagent dependence, and manual processing.