ANFF-Q’s Deputy Director Professor Nam-Trung Nguyen from the Queensland Micro-and Nanontechnology Centre is lead researcher developing a microcapsule technology that could fast-track disease diagnosis and reduce plastic waste. Published in AIP Advances, the technology encapsulates tiny droplets with a diameter smaller than a hair strand.
Professor Nguyen said an important application of the tiny capsules was in laboratory tests such as disease diagnostics.
“This technology provides unparalleled control of small liquid volumes, which are invaluable in applications such as cell culture, immunoassays, and polymerase chain reactions (PCR), which is the “gold standard” for the detection of the coronavirus in the current COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
