Glowsticks may shift from an all-American party favor to part of the U.S. Navy’s arsenal to detect emerging biothreats.
Researchers at the University of Houston are developing diagnostic tests based on the glowing accessory to identify major viruses like Covid-19, the flu, and RSV – and the U.S. Navy reportedly plans to place a $1.3 million task order.
The vibrant light emitted from glowsticks illuminates nanoparticles from proteins or toxins that could become a biothreat -and it works in about 15 minutes.
These tests could revolutionize how biothreats are identified and treated, providing a cheaper alternative to other rapid tests – costing just $2 per box.
Researchers found that glowsticks could help identify biothreats including major viruses like RSV, Covid-19, and the flu
When a glowstick cracks, it releases hydrogen peroxide that reacts to chemicals stored outside the glass and illuminates bio-targets.
‘[Imagine] some young person, probably in green camouflage, kicks in the door of a shed in rural Afghanistan or rural U.S. and comes into what appears to be a makeshift laboratory,’ Richard Willson, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, explained to Fox News.
‘They’d like to gather intelligence on what’s going on there or protect themselves and their teammates from something that could be pretty bad,’ and the glowstick tests could identify potential danger.
Dr. Binh Vu, a research associate professor at the University of Houston, said he discovered glowsticks could be used to detect biothreats while giving his two-year-old son a bath.
Vu son was playing with a glowstick underwater and when he turned off the light, the ‘party favor’ became very bright – and it was at that moment that he realized glowsticks ‘could be a very good recorder’ for diagnostics.
Researchers developed lateral flow tests that applied the liquid glow reagent from a glowstick to a swab culture of an area.
The swab is placed in a cassette box before the reagent is applied and then the cassette is inserted into a 3D-printed dark box.
Using an app on a camera or smartphone, researchers could use it to detect and receive results within 15 minutes.
The app analyzes the test that is ‘literally glowing’ and provides calculations before giving a positive or negative result, explained Dr. Katerina Kourentzi.
Researchers Binh Vu (left), Richard Willson (middle) and Katerina Kourentzi (right) developed a glowstick test to identify emerging biothreats
‘We are for the first time applying the shelf-stable, low-toxicity, low-cost chemistry of common glow sticks to develop bright and rapid diagnostic tests,’ said Willson.
The inexpensive nature of the test, combined with its accessibility drew in the U.S. Navy, according to Kourentzi.
‘The U.S. Navy is looking for technology that can be deployable,’ she told said.
‘So, this seemed to be very applicable to their needs.’
The device could ultimately become a vital part of the Navy’s toolkit to combat biothreats, like entering an area that could expose a military member to potential toxins.
According to Kourentzi, the team plans to send prototypes to the U.S. Navy within the coming months for the first validation testing.
The researchers hope to expand the glowstick’s capabilities to include other major diseases and the University of Houston has already received a grant to begin testing glowsticks for HIV detection.
