News

Researchers have demonstrated a method to detect viral RNA directly from dried whole blood. The approach detected Zika virus and hepatitis C virus RNA without conventional RNA extraction, and may support low-resource molecular testing after further validation.

About RNA

  • Genetic messenger: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) carries and uses genetic information inside cells.
  • Essential for proteins: Messenger RNA, transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA work together to make proteins.
  • Viral genome: Zika virus and hepatitis C virus are RNA viruses; their genetic material is RNA.
  • Diagnostic target: RT-PCR and related tests detect viral RNA. RNA is fragile, so a method that works from dried blood can simplify sample handling.

Source: Science Advances