Glyconanoparticle diagnostics for the detection and discrimation of human and avian influenza infection

人类感染禽流感和猪流感的事件一再发生，促使人们开发出新颖、准确的流感即时诊断方法。目前检测流感的方法都需要至少几个小时，并需要专业设备和训练有素的分析人员。快速诊断测试确实存在，但都相对粗糙，无法区分季节性，大流行性和动物流感病毒株。该项目的目的是开发一种简单的诊断测试，基于实用和廉价的基于金纳米颗粒的比色测定。水溶液中的金纳米颗粒表现出强烈的红色，在纳米颗粒聚集时颜色变为紫色-用肉眼容易观察到。通过用特定的碳水化合物配体功能化金纳米颗粒，将开发出能够在流感病毒表面聚集的糖纳米颗粒，从而检测和区分人类和动物菌株。

Recurring incidents of avian and swine flu infection in humans have prompted the development of novel, accurate point-of-care diagnostics for influenza. Current methods for the detection of influenza all take at least several hours and require specialist equipment and trained analysts. Rapid diagnostic tests do exist, but all are relatively crude and unable to distinguish between seasonal, pandemic and animal strains of influenza virus. The aim of this project is to develop a simple diagnostic test, based on practical and inexpensive gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric assays. Gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution exhibit an intense red colour that upon clustering of the nanoparticles changes colour to purple - readily observed with the naked eye. By functionalising gold nanoparticles with specific carbohydrate ligands, glyconanoparticles capable of clustering on flu virus surfaces will be developed, thus detecting and discriminating between human and animal strains.