How Evolution of Light research, influence the study of Molecular Biology
Many ways light contribute to the field of biology, begins with the microscope. Through microscope light path take us to the microbial world. Then we understand how light influence microbes to modify them self for better survival. To day in the filed of biological research, light is not limited to mutate the microbe.
Recently researcher from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has successfully able to develop a device that can control light to trap or move viruses. As the device can precisely move a particular virus particle, this device also help to disease diagnosis and the study of viruses.
The device, which has the ability to manipulate light to act as 'tweezers', would aid in vaccine development. As the device allow scientist to pick up a specific virus from a thousand of millions of others biomolecule. It is possible to deliver virus to a specific group of cell like cancer cell or to a particular part of a cell.
As it is mention in Science Daly news: "The traditional approach of analysing viruses nowadays is to investigate a population of thousands or millions of viruses," said Associate Professor Eric Yap, a medical geneticist from NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, who co-led the research. We only have data on their average behaviour as a group. Single viruses might be analysed individually using our laser-based method.
"In addition to diagnosing diseases, our gadget might be used to identify outliers, such as a single unusual virus with the ability to develop and cause the next wave of an epidemic. This ushers in a new age in which we can consider precision diagnostics down to the single virus level."
The study's leader, Professor Liu Aiqun of NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, said: "We have demonstrated that our invention works with adenoviruses by using light to modify viruses in a specific size range. Our technology could also be utilised to catch and concentrate SARS-CoV-2 for research and diagnosis, according to our findings."
The findings of the study were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal ACS Sensors in September.
The 'light' way to manipulating viruses with great precision
The gadget, which is roughly the size of a thumbnail and measures 2 cm by 2 cm, comprises of a chip built from a silicon oxide and silicon nitride wafer with nanometre-sized chambers to contain the trapped viruses. A laser sits above the chip, directing highly focused light beams with just the proper amount of energy to operate as 'tweezers' that isolate and transport viruses.
The device functions by injecting a virus-containing fluid, such as blood, into the chip. After then, a laser beam is focused on it, creating light spots. The virus is attracted to and trapped in predefined cavities on the chip because the intensity of the light is highest in the centre of the spots.
Viruses can freely travel to other sections of the semiconductor by modifying the placement of the light spots. This facilitates the sorting and concentration of viruses ranging in size from 40 nm to 300 nm.
Prof Liu stated, "Our technology is a breakthrough in virus research since it allows us to investigate individual specimens, whereas equivalent technologies today can only handle viruses in big quantities."
"We could hand-pick certain viral particles and examine them using this technique to acquire unique insights into them and the diseases they cause," Assoc Prof Yap added. It could, for example, offer up new avenues for more in-depth investigation of individual virus mutations, leading to new strategies to characterise and combat these viral types.
The researchers are attempting to broaden the application of their laser-powered device.
They're looking into how the device can instruct isolated viruses to infect a specific region of a human cell, for example. According to the researchers, this will lead to advancements in virus research as well as increased efficiency in vaccination and antiviral medicine development.

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