Toxin Biosensor for Smart Phones
March 18, 2014 | Terry Sharrer
Bundling bacteriophage into a patterned “material,” bioengineers at the University of California at Berkeley fabricated a biosensor that shows color “fingerprints” of different chemicals and toxins. As the bacteriophage swell or contract (presumably in response to various toxins in water vapor) light reflection changes and that signature can be detected with a smart phone’s camera and a mobile app called “iColour Analyser.” In proof of principle, the sensor was successful in distinguishing TNT from other closely related chemicals. MORE
Image Credit: Schematic Courtesy of the Seung-Wuk Lee Laboratory at University of California Berkeley
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