A domestic research team has developed a diagnostic technology that quickly distinguishes only viruses with actual infectivity among COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Kim Ho-jun, a senior researcher at the Biomolecular Recognition Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), said on the 6th that the team, together with Chonnam National University Hospital and the National Institute of Health at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, developed a next-generation diagnostic platform, the Fusion (FUSION) assay. The results were published in April in the international journal Advanced Materials.
Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests detect viral genetic material, so they can show positive results even for fragments of viruses that have lost infectivity. They also require separate pretreatment and analysis equipment, making it difficult to confirm results immediately in the field.
The researchers used the membrane fusion reaction that occurs when a virus penetrates a cell. They designed a particle that mimics the cell membrane, VEACON, to emit a green fluorescence signal when it encounters an infectious virus. It does not react to viruses that have lost infectivity.
Mixing the detection solution with a sample allows results to be confirmed within 5 minutes, and using a portable reader connected to a smartphone can determine the presence of a virus in 2 minutes. The solution can also be sprayed on masks or the surfaces of everyday items to identify contaminated spots.
When the team analyzed 100 clinical specimens, the accuracy for identifying infectious viruses was 91.7%. No cross-reactions were observed among COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. They also distinguished whether surfaces of wood, plastic, stainless steel, and masks were contaminated with viruses.
The researchers said, "This technology does not react to noninfectious viral traces, so it can be used to reduce unnecessary isolation," and added, "It can also be applied in settings that require repeated screening tests or in environmental quarantine."
References
Advanced Materials (2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202521241