Nanotechnology May be Used for Food Safety
December 15, 2008
A microscopic biological sensor
that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
scientist and university colleagues. The sensor could be adapted to detect
other foodborne pathogens as well.
The sensor is part of an evolving science known as nanotechnologythe
study and manipulation of materials on a molecular or even atomic level,
measured in billionths of a meter, which is about 10 to100 times thinner than a
There are examples of biosensors in nature. Insects detect tiny amounts of
sex pheromones in the environment and use them as a beacon to find mates. And
fish use natural biosensors to detect barely perceptible vibrations in the
Park at the
and Safety Assessment Research Unit in Athens, Ga., and cooperators at the
University of Georgia used nanotechnology to
develop the biosensor. The detection method may have great potential for food
safety and security, according to Park.
The biosensors that Park and his university colleagues developed include
fluorescent organic dye particles attached to Salmonella antibodies. The
antibodies hook onto Salmonella bacteria and the dye lights up like a
beacon, making the bacteria easier to see.
People who eat Salmonella-infected food products can get
salmonellosis, a disease characterized by nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea,
and sometimes death.
For his research, Park recently received the prestigious first place
Innovation Nano Research Award at the Sixth International Nanotech Symposium
and Exhibition, in Ilsan, Korea.
ARS is a scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.