<p> Earlier this week, a professor in Taiwan presented a new biochip that can rapidly detect multiple viral diseases in bananas and potatoes.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The biochemical sensor chip, developed by Professor Chang Ching-an from Chaoyang University of Technology, is expected to be released commercially in mid-2014, with annual sales projected at NT$200 million to NT$300 million, according to Focus Taiwan.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Traditionally, tests usually examine crops one disease at a time, despite the risk that bananas and potatoes could be carrying multiple diseases at once. However, Chang’s biochip can test for several viruses simultaneously, saving time, reducing costs, and protecting yield quality and quantity. He noted that around US$200 million is spent worldwide annually to test bananas and potatoes for viruses by conventional means. A test for three viruses costs around NT$360, but the biochip could reduce that by half, Chang added.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">For bananas, the chip can test for banana bunchy top virus, banana bract mosaic virus, and cucumber mosaic virus. For potatoes, the chip screens for potato virus A and potato virus Y potyviruses; potato virus S and potato virus M carlaviruses; as well as potato virus potexvirus, all known to have been causes of major economic losses, according to Taiwan Today.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The feasibility assessment of the chip has been completed and it meets tests standards of the European Union. How soon will it be before we see this chip widely used?<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more comments and opinions.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://focustaiwan.tw/search/201311130028.aspx?q=Taiwan%20develops%20chip%20to%20test%20viruses%20in%20bananas%2C%20potatoes" target="_new"> Focus Taiwan </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=211613&ctNode=445" target="_new"> Taiwan Today</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
