The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has designed this tiny, robotic hand that could capture a virus, neutralizing its threat.
llinois researchers developed a nanorobotic hand made of DNA that can grab viruses for detection or inhibition. In this artist’s rendering, three “NanoGripper” hands wrap around a COVID-19 virus.The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has designed this tiny, robotic hand that could capture a virus, neutralizing its threat.
The NanoGripper, a four-fingered nanorobot, is a dual-purpose tool. It can capture COVID-19 viruses for rapid detection and prevent infection by blocking viral entry into cells. This innovative technology holds promise for future applications, such as targeting other viruses or delivering drugs directly to cancer cells. “We wanted to make a soft material, nanoscale robot with grabbing functions that never have been seen before, to interact with cells, viruses and other molecules for biomedical applications,” said Xing Wang, who led the development. “We are using DNA for its structural properties. It is strong, flexible and programmable. Yet even in the DNA origami field, this is novel in terms of the design principle. We fold one long strand of DNA back and forth to make all of the elements, both the static and moving pieces, in one step,” Wang explained. Inspired by the human hand or bird claws, the NanoGripper has four fingers and a palm, all folded from one piece of DNA. Image courtesy of Xing WangDNA-based nanorobot has four flexible fingers, each with three joints, enabling precise movement and gripping. The DNA structure determines the finger’s bending angle and degree, allowing for customized interactions with target molecules.In the case of COVID-19, the NanoGripper targets the virus’s spike protein, effectively disabling its ability to infect cells. This binding triggers finger movement to wrap around the target. Moreover, the opposite side of this nanorobot can attach to surfaces or other structures, enabling its use in various biomedical applications like sensing and drug delivery. The NanoGripper, when combined with a photonic crystal sensor platform, enables a rapid, 30-minute COVID-19 test. This test matches the sensitivity of standard PCR tests, providing accurate results much faster than traditional methods. “Our test is very fast and simple since we detect the intact virus directly,” said Brian Cunningham, computer engineering professor. : “When the virus is held in the NanoGripper’s hand, a fluorescent molecule is triggered to release light when illuminated by an LED or laser. When a large number of fluorescent molecules are concentrated upon a single virus, it becomes bright enough in our detection system to count each virus individually.”The NanoGripper can also be used as a preventive measure against viral infections. They found that the multiple grippers would surround the virus, preventing it from binding to cells. “It would be very difficult to apply it after a person is infected, but there’s a way we could use it as a preventive therapeutic,” Wang said. “We could make an anti-viral nasal spray compound. The nose is the hot spot for respiratory viruses, like COVID or influenza. A nasal spray with the NanoGripper could prevent inhaled viruses from interacting with the cells in the nose,” the author concluded in theMrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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