Thread by @wmcarterelliott

If you know what binding enzyme that #COVID19 uses, there's a much simpler approach to home tests.

You use an inkjet printer to lay down parallel lines of what it binds to on a silicone substrate. The line spacing should be half-wavelength of the indicator color. Expose the...

https://twitter.com/Mod3rnAge/status/1328839009909534726

printed-silicone to saliva, and the #COVID19 viruses should stick to the lines better than they stick to the spaces in-between. This will affect the way that light of that color reflects from the surface, so viral adhesion will make the surface into a holographic optical element.

https://twitter.com/wmcarterelliott/status/1328848535417090048

In use, you'd sell little silicone rubber "stamps", the patient would spit on it, and if the virus is present, a colored holographic pattern will appear.

BTW - I was Dir of BioMed R&D for 12 yrs at 3 different companies. This was one of my inventions, but for HIV's gp120 enzyme.

I'm retired now, and so far as I know, it's unpatented.

Run with it with my blessings.

@morgfair @quinncy @Alyssa_Milano @H_Combs @HamillHimself @MollyJongFast @AllCharisma @chrissyteigen @notcapnamerica @kathygriffin @PeterPumer @GenMhayden @MingGao26 @gregolear @PalmerReport

This is what a prototype could look like, with the green meaning virus is present and the lavender meaning it isn't:

The same approach could reduce lab time spent on identifying whether a pathogen is Gram-positive or Gram-negative (or neither, eg, a mycobacterium like TB).

(Does anyone still think I'm not a real scientist? 😎)

@threadreaderapp unroll