ARI researchers develop microreactor that produces uniform nanoparticles:

Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have developed a microreactor capable of generating large quantities of uniform nanoparticles. A problem faced by the biomedical sector has been the development of a standardized size of nanoparticles. This discovery would act as a significant prerequisite for biomedical technology.

Highlights:

♦ Metal, semiconductor, and polymer nanoparticles could be synthesized by the microreactor through the continuous active flow microreactor. 

♦ The microreactor has parameters such as reactant concentration, flow rate, agitation, temperature of the reaction, and time. It can determine the size and distribution of Nanoparticles.

♦ They further developed a mathematical equation that used dimensional analysis to accurately predict process parameters to achieve true monodispersity.

♦ This method will generate nanoparticles of any size using gold and silver, cadmium-telluride, chitosan, alginate and hyaluronic acid with a coefficient of variation below 5 per cent.

♦ The new approach to solving the nanomaterial`s monodispersity paradox can be extended to other chemical reactions, where strict control of the dynamics of the reaction is crucial.

SCTIMST creates an innovative RNA processing kit named Chitra Magna:

Chitra Magna, an advanced RNA extraction package, was created by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) to isolate RNA from swabs for COVID-19 studies.

Chitra Magna:

The causative COVID-19 pandemic virus SARS-COV-2 is an RNA virus. It is a long single-stranded polymeric substance present in all living cells which carries the life-needed organism genetic information. One of the crucial steps in identifying this virus is to check that the virus RNA is present in the sample obtained from the throat or nose. The sample collected is transported under specified conditions in a viral transport medium to the testing laboratory.

The package procedure uses magnetic nanoparticles to extract the RNA from the patient sample and to concentrate it. The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and give a highly purified and concentrated amount of RNA if exposed to a magnetic field. The yield of the PCR or LAMP test depends on having a appropriate amount of viral RNA. The breakthrough would also raise the chances of identifying positive cases. The Institute has filed for a patent for this technology, which is simpler than in imported kits.

Chitra Magna can be used not only for LAMP testing but also for RT-PCR testing, to extract high purity RNA from patient samples. The first move to isolate high quality, high RNA concentration without degradation is crucial to the outcome of the PCR or LAMP test in which RNA is converted to DNA.

This will address the non-availability of kits which have often become a severe bottleneck for large numbers of RT-PCR testing across the world.

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