A recent Medgadget article discussed a new rapid COVID-19 test that gives results in as little as five minutes. The test was developed by MIT scientists who based the test on carbon nanotubes rather than antibodies or other protein detection reagents that can be expensive.
The nanotubes are illuminated by a laser, which alters the fluorescent signal and causes target molecules to adhere to a web of polymers that encase the nano-structures. The team adapted existing nanotube technology in less than two weeks to detect SARS-CoV-2, and thus could be used for future pandemics with new pathogens.
