Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6430.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference of Indian Virological Society on “Emerging and Re-emerging viral Diseases of the Tropics and Subtropics” at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, December 11–14, 2007.
Continuous improvements in the chemistry, immunology, and molecular biology have contributed to increased sensitivity, reliability and accuracy of virus diagnostics in recent years. ELISA is still one of the most practical and cost-effective methods for virus diagnosis. Nucleic acid amplification strategies offer increased sensitivity, and provide templates for further molecular characterization. Microarrays offer the advantage of testing for multiple viruses in a short period of time. The increasing global trade of agricultural products and produce and the associated risk of introduction of new viruses into other parts of the world is catalyzing research to develop more rapid and sensitive techniques for virus detection. Use of nanotechnology for this purpose is being explored for the detection of human and animal viruses. Use of sensors that could alert the presence of a virus in luggage or on an individual is subject of research in several laboratories. Similar approaches may be developed for the detection of plant viruses in a shipment of agricultural produce or on travelers and/or their luggage. Successful adoption of the nanotechnology-based virus diagnostics largely depends on the cost, ease of use, and the reliability, reproducibility and accuracy of the test. The need to protect crops and provide agricultural security from potential biosecurity threats would justify investment into research aimed at using this modern technology for further improvement of the existing diagnostic capabilities.
