Biosensor Nanotechnology Could Identify Presence of Salmonella
Pick your poison from this smorgasbord of recent salmonella outbreaks in the United States: ground turkey; fresh papayas; alfalfa sprouts. That's in 2011 alone, and the list goes on, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But perhaps not for long, thanks to a promising new biosensor nanotechnology that could identify the presence of salmonella bacteria before contaminated food or animals reach the marketplace.
Pick your poison from this smorgasbord of recent salmonella outbreaks in the United States: ground turkey; fresh papayas; alfalfa sprouts. That's in 2011 alone, and the list goes on, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But perhaps not for long, thanks to a promising new biosensor nanotechnology that could identify the presence of salmonella bacteria before contaminated food or animals reach the marketplace.
"The large surface area of carbon nanotubes makes them very sensitive detectors. By combining that with the chemical specificity of antibodies for salmonella, we hope to create a device to protect the public health," explains Johnson. Further research is needed before a carbon nanotube biosensor for salmonella is available commercially. But these results help bring the concept a step closer to reality – and to controlling food poisoning outbreaks.
Source: AIP Advances
