DesertFox
04-04-2006, 10:14 PM
Mark Ward
BBC News
4 Apr 06
Tiny particles of gold could soon be helping to spot viruses, bacteria and toxins used by bio-terrorists.
Researchers in the UK have found that gold nanoparticles are very effective detectors of biological toxins.
The particles reveal the presence of poisons far faster than existing techniques which often involve shipping samples back to a lab.
The aim is to integrate the technology in a portable device that could give instant answers at crime scenes.
Led by Professor David Russell, researchers at the University of East Anglia are studying ways to use the nanoparticles as a detector of dangerous biological substances.
The research makes use of gold nanoparticles that are only 16 nanometres in diameter - roughly 1/5000th the width of a human hair.
More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4872188.stm)
BBC News
4 Apr 06
Tiny particles of gold could soon be helping to spot viruses, bacteria and toxins used by bio-terrorists.
Researchers in the UK have found that gold nanoparticles are very effective detectors of biological toxins.
The particles reveal the presence of poisons far faster than existing techniques which often involve shipping samples back to a lab.
The aim is to integrate the technology in a portable device that could give instant answers at crime scenes.
Led by Professor David Russell, researchers at the University of East Anglia are studying ways to use the nanoparticles as a detector of dangerous biological substances.
The research makes use of gold nanoparticles that are only 16 nanometres in diameter - roughly 1/5000th the width of a human hair.
More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4872188.stm)