Handheld biohazard detection
A spinout company formed around MSU nanotechnology promises
to move speedy detection of deadly pathogens and toxins from the laboratory
directly to the field.
Food contamination and other biohazards present a growing public health
concern, but laboratory analysis consumes precious time. The company, nanoRETE,
will develop and commercialize an inexpensive test for handheld biosensors to
detect a broad range of threats such as E.
coli, salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis.
A significant leap forward in detection and diagnostic technology, the test utilizes
novel nanoparticles with magnetic, polymeric, and electrical properties
developed by Evangelyn Alocilja, MSU professor of biosystems and agricultural
engineering and chief scientific officer of nanoRETE.
“Our unique preparation, extraction, and detection protocol enables the entire
process to be conducted in the field, without significant training,” says
Alocilja. “Results are generated in about an hour from receipt of sample to
final readout, quickly identifying contaminants so that proper and prompt
actions can be taken.”
The mobile technology comes at only a fraction of the cost of the closest
currently available competing technology, company officials say.
