More accurate and sensitive tests for viruses may be on the way.
Today, tests rely on amplifying viral DNA until there is enough to identify. This can introduce errors, but a team at Iowa State University, Ames, have found a way to detect the DNA from a single particle of human papilloma virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer.
The team apply a sample from a cervical smear to a slide covered with copies of a DNA sequence that is complementary to part of the HPV DNA. Any HPV DNA in the sample then sticks to the slide. They then…
