Arizona State University researchers have just unveiled: A $2 at-home test detects COVID-19, HIV, and Ebola
This new $2 at-home test detects COVID-19, HIV, and Ebola in just 15 minutes.
Arizona State University researchers have just unveiled a revolutionary diagnostic test.
The device, called NasRED (Nanoparticle-Supported Rapid Electronic Detection), uses engineered gold nanoparticles to identify disease markers at incredibly low concentrations—up to 100,000 times more sensitive than standard lab tests.
Portable and requiring only a drop of blood, NasRED eliminates the need for costly equipment or highly trained personnel, making it especially valuable for low-resource regions where access to diagnostics is often limited.
By delivering fast, accurate, and affordable results, NasRED could transform global health by enabling early detection and rapid response to outbreaks. Beyond infectious diseases, the technology may also prove useful for detecting cancer biomarkers, Alzheimer’s-related proteins, and other chronic illnesses.
Researchers are working to further miniaturize the system, with the ultimate goal of developing a convenient at-home test that surpasses current rapid diagnostics in both sensitivity and versatility.
If widely deployed, NasRED could fill critical gaps in global healthcare, preventing missed diagnoses and saving millions of lives.
Source: Yeji Choi, Seyedsina Mirjalili, MD Ashif Ikbal, Sean McClure, Maziyar Kalateh Mohammadi, Scott Clemens, Jose Solano, John Heggland, Tingting Zhang, Jiawei Zuo, Chao Wang. Nanoparticle-Supported, Rapid, and Electronic Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Antigens at the Subfemtomolar Level.
ACS Nano, 2025.
Note:
As of August 21, 2025, over 7 million COVID-19 fatalities had been officially reported worldwide. However, the actual number of deaths is believed to be significantly higher due to underreporting and the inclusion of excess deaths.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the actual toll could be as much as three times the official number.
