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Scientist unveils `lab on a chip' to detect biohazards

A handheld "lab on a chip" has been developed by a Singapore scientist to detect deadly viruses, bacteria and biohazards encountered by the military in the field, a research institute said yesterday.

Results of initial trials indicate the innovation could replace an entire laboratory currently requiring bulky boxes of fragile testing equipment.

The work by Eric Yap, head of the population genetics laboratory at the Defense Medical and Environmental Research Institute, uses special test solutions to assess samples of suspected biohazards.

The samples are placed on a glass slide the size of a postage stamp, inserted into a handheld reader and scanned electronically to help the researcher determine what it is.

The device is said to detect the presence of biohazards that Singapore Armed Forces personnel could encounter in training or combat situations, including the dengue virus and the soil disease melioidosis, which can cause potentially lethal blood infections.

Yap's 11 years of research have led to two patents being registered in the US.
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