Full Text:
Commonly used health tests, such as pregnancy and blood sugar tests, involve putting a drop of fluid on a test strip, which is infused with a substance designed to detect a specific molecule. The strip acts as a simple biosensor, a device that detects chemicals with the help of biological molecules such as proteins or enzymes.
These devices work, but are limited in scope and can be imprecise. Researchers are creating a new biosensor that uses laser light, engineered viruses and advanced manufacturing techniques to more accurately detect the smallest amounts possible of biological molecules--in our food, in our water and even in our own blood. Detecting trace amounts of contaminants or medical biomarkers sooner could help safeguard against harm. Thanks to these technologies, biosensors of the future may no longer be in cardboard boxes, but in fibers woven into clothes.Image credit: Joe Cheeney, University of California-Riverside
