Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41038811›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Quantum-enhanced nanodiamond rapid test advances early SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection in clinical diagnostics.

Alyssa Thomas DeCruz, Benjamin S Miller, Da Huang, Max McRobbie, Felix Donaldson, Laura E McCoy, Ciara K O'Sullivan, Johannes C Botha, Eleni Nastouli, Rachel A McKendry

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Alyssa Thomas DeCruzLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-9506-7575
Benjamin S MillerLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK. ben.miller@ucl.ac.uk.
Da HuangLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3219-5565
Max McRobbieLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK.
Felix DonaldsonLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK.
Laura E McCoyDivision of Infection and Immunity, UCL, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9503-7946
Ciara K O'SullivanINTERFIBIO Consolidated Research Group, Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2603-2230
Johannes C BothaGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK.
Eleni NastouliDivision of Infection and Immunity, UCL, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1684-2013
Rachel A McKendryLondon Centre for Nanotechnology UCL, London, UK. r.a.mckendry@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2018-6829

Funding

RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/R00529X/1RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/R018707/1RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/X031276/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust (Wellcome) 224071/Z/21/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Quantum biosensors, which harness quantum effects to detect biomarkers, could address the urgent need for more sensitive rapid diagnostics. Lateral flow tests using nitrogen-vacancy centres in nanodiamond labels offer high sensitivity and robustness by controlling the spin-dependent fluorescence to remove background. This is particularly important in complex and variable clinical samples. However, to date only model systems have been studied with few clinical samples. Here we show results of a clinical evaluation of a spin-enhanced nanodiamond test for SARS-CoV-2 antigen with 103 upper respiratory tract swab samples. We find 95.1% sensitivity (Ct ≤ 30) and 100% specificity benchmarked against RT-qPCR, with no cross-reactivity to influenza A, RSV, and Rhinovirus. Modelling with patient data yields a mean of 2.0-days earlier detection compared to conventional gold-nanoparticle tests (just 0.6 days after RT-qPCR) with 2.2-fold more patients detected on the first day of symptom onset, potentially reducing the transmission risk and protecting populations.

Indexed as

Antigens, ViralCOVID-19NanodiamondsSARS-CoV-2Biosensing TechniquesHumansSensitivity and SpecificityAntigens, ViralNanodiamonds

Identifiers

PMID41038811
PMCPMC12491541

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.