A team of researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ), including Dr Selvakumar Edwardraja, has developed a dust made from baker's yeast that has the potential to detect COVID-19 and provide protection against future pandemics.

The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) at the University of Queensland has developed synthetic yeast fragments called "nanoprobes." These powdery nanoprobes have the unique capability to detect COVID-19 biomarkers. They can be strategically deployed in various environments such as airports, hospitals, stadiums, and sewers to identify the presence of the virus.

AIBN research fellow Edwardraja said the yeast sensor technology can be genetically programmed to detect specific viral strains, such as the COVID-19 variants Delta and Omicron, and give health systems a head start on new and emerging viral threats jumping from animals to people. “The constant mutation of COVID-19 means it is no longer enough to test whether someone has been infected,” he said. “We must now be able to quickly identify which variant a patient has, where it has come from, and what needs to be done to treat it.”

After completing his education in India, Edwardraja earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Pusan National University in South Korea. He has been a research fellow at the University of Queensland for the last seven years.