Scientists Use Single-Atom-Thick Nanomaterial to Build an Infection Sensor

Have a cough, sore throat and congestion- Any number of respiratory viruses could be responsible. Conventional tests can identify certain likely culprits by relying on chemical reactions, but some researchers want to swap chemistry for electrical changes sensed by nanomaterials. Today, scientists report using a single-atom-thick nanomaterial to build a device that can simultaneously detect the presence of the viruses that cause COVID-19 and the flu - at much lower levels and much more quickly than conventional tests for either.