Guwahati: In a major scientific achievement on public health front, research scholars at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed an innovative, low-cost method to detect SARS-CoV-2—the virus responsible for COVID-19—using nothing more than a type of clay and saltwater.This innovative mechanism, which uses sedimentation to determine the presence and quantity of the virus, offers a simpler and more affordable alternative to current diagnostic methods such as PCR and antigen testing. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Clay Science, could revolutionize virus detection, especially in resource-limited settings and during future pandemics. The interdisciplinary research was led by Prof. T.V. Bharat from the Department of Civil Engineering and Prof. Sachin Kumar from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, in collaboration with Dr. Himanshu Yadav and Ms. Deepa Mehta. “Imagine detecting viruses the way we watch sand settle in water,” said Prof. Bharat. “That’s essentially what we’ve done—by using Bentonite clay, a naturally occurring material, we can observe how a virus-laden solution settles and quantify the presence of the virus in real time.” Posing a threat to human lives globally, COVID-19 pandemic revealed a critical gap in how we detect and track viral infections. Current methods, such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), are highly sensitive but time consuming and require heavy equipment. Similarly, the antigen testing is fast but lacks accuracy, while antibody testing is used after the infection has occurred, highlighting limitations at various levels. Additionally, many of these methods are not practical in resource-limited settings or during large-scale outbreaks. Bentonite clay is already known for its powerful ability to absorb pollutants and bind with heavy metals. Building on earlier studies suggesting that clay particles can bind to viruses, the IIT Guwahati team explored how it interacted with the virus in a salt solution at neutral pH and room temperature. Their findings showed that the virus binds to the negatively charged surfaces of the clay, significantly changing the sedimentation behavior. This change can be measured to determine both the presence and concentration of the virus—providing a faster and potentially field-deployable solution. To test the reliability of their technique, the team compared it with traditional virus-detection methods such as RT-PCR and plaque assays. The results held up well, demonstrating both accuracy and consistency. The study initially focused on a coronavirus surrogate and Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV), but the method has already shown promise for detecting other viruses like the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), which poses a major threat to the poultry industry. “This work builds on our earlier research in biomedical waste management and virus inactivation,” added Prof. Bharat, referencing their recent publications in Langmuir and funding from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The team now plans to take the research out of the lab and into the real world. “We are actively seeking collaborations with hospitals and biotech companies to conduct clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses,” said Prof. Sachin Kumar. “With industrial support, we hope to scale this technology into diagnostic kits that can be used in clinics, airports, and rural health centres.” It is significant that the method can be extended to detect other viruses such as the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), which affects poultry and causes major losses in the farming industry.
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