GMU virologist Dr. Kylene Kehn-Hall is working on a new way to help tackle the spread of coronavirus by employing a revolutionary technology called Nanotrap® particles.

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In a fascinating interview with independent science publisher SelectScience, Dr. Kehn-Hall outlines the unique advantages of using Nanotrap particles and how they could help limit the COVID-19 pandemic.

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She explains how Nanotrap particles effectively capture many different types of viruses, enabling scientists to stabilize and concentrate ultralow levels of those viruses, and how her team is working with SARS-CoV-2, which is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, in GMU's biocontainment lab.

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Dr. Kehn-Hall tells SelectScience Associate Editor Carrie Haslam: “What we’re currently noticing in the field is that PCR assays had a significant number of false negatives. This is a situation where Nanotrap particles can really make a difference since they help combat these false negatives by capturing viruses that are present in low concentrations, which ultimately enhances diagnostics.”

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She highlights how this technology could be used to pave the way to new and more accurate detection, enabling patients with coronavirus to immediately take the necessary quarantine precautions to help reduce the spread of the disease.

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The team at GMU, which has previously used the technology to explore Zika virus, dengue virus and chikungunya virus detection, as well as common strains of influenza, RSV and coronavirus, is currently seeking funding to try to accelerate its work with SARS-CoV-2.

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Read Dr. Kehn-Hall’s full interview on SelectScience here>>