Biological Nano-Sensor to Help Identify Chemical Weapons

A team of researchers at the Oregon State University team is studying a microfluidic sensor technology that could exploit customized iron oxide nano-particles to help identify biological and chemical weapons.

The technology could incorporate analytical systems into a nano-sized solution to help track materials including anthrax, ricin and smallpox. The project has received a four year grant from the Army Research Laboratory. The nano-particles enable a portable device suitable for field applications, according to Vincent Remcho, chemistry professor, who has led the team.

The team has built the nano-particles from iron. The iron has enabled the team to utilize magnetism and electronics to enable them double as a signaling tool, to provide prompt access to available information. The features of the portable sensor could help deliver rapid and accurate resultsand allow volume production in a cost- effective manner.

A research paper describing the technology was recently released in the Sensors and Actuators journal.