Professor Yi Lu from the University of Illinois has developed an aptamer-based method for virus detection that is able to distinguish infective viruses from non-infective virions at concentrations as low as 1 pfu/mL. 

This technology has been developed on human adenovirus but can be generalized to any virus of interest. Since it is not based on the sequencing of genetic information, it requires no sample preparation and can be completed in ~30 minutes. 

This technology has great potential utility for diagnostics and environmental testing, specifically water quality testing, for the identification and mitigation of water-borne illnesses including adenovirus.