Nanotech napkin will detect biohazards

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Sep 18th 2006 @ 5:02PM

food scientist It sounds to be something out of a sci-fi movie, and for the time being it is, since it is still a few years away from complete development, but researchers at Cornell University are working on a cloth that would detect biohazards like avian flu viruses to e.coli bacteria. The absorbent wipe, which is being called a "biodegradable napkin," would contain nanofibers of biotin, a part of the B vitamin complex, and the protein streptavidin. The nanofibers contain antibodies that would cause a color change in the napkin when they attach to the biohazardous compounds.

It doesn't sound like it would be something an average citizen would carry around in her purse and use in a restaurant, since the researchers reported it in the domain of food industry: "So if you're working in a meat-packing plant, for instance, you could swipe it across some hamburger and quickly and easily detect E. coli bacteria." Whether it would be for consumers or for manufacturers, it definitely sounds promising for food safety.

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Filed Under: Science, Health & Medical, New Products
Tags: food safety, nanotech, science