Invention enables early magnetic levitation

Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of British Columbia have invented a system that can quickly and inexpensively detect airborne viruses using the same technology that enables high-speed trains. The team showed that a technique known as magnetic levitation can be used to easily collect and concentrate viruses from air to help prevent future outbreaks of respiratory disease. The researchers published their work in the journal ACS Nano. “It’s very important to have real-time management and real-time predictions in place for viruses,” said Morteza Mahmoudi, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology and the Precision Health Program at MSU. “What we’ve developed is a system that could help us and other stakeholders get more information about the different types of viruses in the air we breathe.” “This could help identify that an environment is contaminated before a pandemic happens,” said Sepideh Pakpour, an assistant professor of engineering who led the...