NUANCE Partners with Feinberg Medical School to Develop Rapid Detection Technology for HIV Detection!

A team of interdisciplinary researchers at Northwestern University has developed a groundbreaking nanomechanical technology that could revolutionize HIV diagnostics. Their innovation offers a rapid, point-of-care test capable of detecting HIV antigens with high sensitivity in just minutes—eliminating the need for traditional, time-consuming lab-based testing.

Traditional HIV tests rely on detecting antibodies that develop weeks after infection, delaying early diagnosis. While newer tests identify both antibodies and the p24 antigen—an early HIV marker—these still require clinical lab processing, leading to longer wait times and increased costs.

Led by materials engineer Vinayak Dravid, virologist Judd F. Hultquist, and microfabrication expert Gajendra Shekhawat, the team designed a microcantilever-based biosensor capable of detecting multiple HIV antigens with exceptional accuracy. The technology uses gold-coated silicon cantilevers that bend upon antigen binding, providing a digital readout in real time. Mass-producible and solar-powered, this innovation could bring fast and reliable HIV testing to remote and underserved regions.

“We hope this technology will lead to the development of new point-of-care diagnostics for HIV to improve patient health and help bring an end to this epidemic,” said Hultquist.

The technology has already proven effective in detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is being explored for other infectious diseases, such as measles. Looking ahead, the team envisions a multi-disease diagnostic platform capable of simultaneously detecting HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C—critical for addressing co-infections among at-risk populations!

Read more about this breakthrough in Northwestern's Engineering News, or the the full paper in Biosensors and Bioelectronics !