Astronomers detect an ‘incredibly rare’ Earth-like planet 25,000 light-years away 

Astronomers detect an ‘incredibly rare’ Earth-like planet orbiting a star one-tenth the size of our sun 25,000 light-years away The star was spotted in the Galactic Bulge at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy The rocky world’s mass is somewhere between the mass of Earth and Neptune It is so far away that scientists … Read more

New coronavirus test uses CRISPR gene-editing too to detect virus

One of the teams that developed the revolutionary (but controversial) gene-editing tool, CRISPR, has retooled it to make a new coronavirus test, scientists at MIT and the Broad Institute announced Tuesday.  The newly-designed test can detect even trace amounts of the virus via either nasal swab or spit sample.  Dr Feng Zhang and his team … Read more

Why does it take 7 years to detect condition that plagues so many women?

For Emma Williams-Tully and her husband Dan, the news that they were expecting a baby was even more emotional than for most newlyweds.  Emma had been told many times by doctors that she may never have children – because she suffers from a debilitating and painful condition which causes cells from the lining of her … Read more

Satellite images are used to detect small pieces of plastic pollution floating in the ocean

Of 30 billion plastic bottles used by UK households each year, only 57 per cent are currently recycled. With half of these going to landfill, half of all plastic bottles that are recycled go to waste. Around 700,000 plastic bottles a day end up as litter. This is largely due to plastic wrapping around bottles … Read more

Pocket-sized device could detect COVID-19 in less than two hours 

A new DNA-testing kit that pairs up with a smartphone could be used to diagnose COVID-19 in less than two hours, scientists say. ‘POCKET’ (point of care kit for the entire test) identifies changes in DNA that signal disease in real time from samples of blood, urine or saliva. It contains two components – a … Read more

FDA authorizes the first test that can detect coronavirus antibodies in the blood

FDA gives emergency approval to first coronavirus blood test that can detect when people have become immune to the infection amid hopes they can return to work and ‘jump start the economy’ The FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the first coronavirus antibody test The test, developed by medical device company Cellex Inc, … Read more

AI-powered software can detect coronavirus in chest X-rays in SECONDS and with 98 percent accuracy 

US healthcare officials are working tirelessly to deliver coronavirus test results in a timely manner, but the process includes getting tested, having the sample processed and then delivering the results. Now, a scientist has developed new technology that can produce a diagnosis in just a matter of seconds and with 98 percent accuracy.   Barath Narayanan, … Read more

Abbott announces new coronavirus antibody blood test to detect who has already been infected

Abbott reveals it has made a new coronavirus antibody test which ‘could screen 20 million by June’ By Reuters and Mary Kekatos Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.com Published: 21:33 BST, 15 April 2020 | Updated: 02:52 BST, 16 April 2020 Abbott Laboratories announced it has launched its third coronavirus test, this time a blood test … Read more

Fitbit could detect early signs of the coronavirus thanks to an algorithm from Stanford

Stanford and Fitbit are joining forces in a bid to develop technology that detects early signs of the coronavirus using wearables. The team is designing an algorithm that measures the wearer’s vitals such as heart rate and skin temperature to determine if the body is fighting an infection. The software will be capable of spotting … Read more