Glow-in-the-dark paper as a rapid test for infectious diseases

Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands) and Keio University (Japan) have presented a practicable and reliable way to test for infectious diseases in Angewandte Chemie. The simple technique uses a special glowing paper strip, a drop of blood and a digital camera. The technology is inexpensive and fast—after 20 minutes, it is clear whether there is an infection; it also makes expensive and time-consuming laboratory measurements in the hospital unnecessary. In addition, the test has a lot of potential in developing countries for the easy testing of tropical diseases.