Three-Minute Anthrax Sensor

March 19, 2008 | Source: Technology Review

A new sensor system that can detect dangerous airborne agents such as anthrax in as little as three minutes uses living immune-system cells genetically engineered to emit light when exposed to a particular contaminant.

The “BioFlash” sensor, built by Innovative Biosensors, contains mouse immune cells engineered to detect the smallpox virus, botulinum and ricin toxins, anthrax, and two other bacteria, but the company could also make cells that react to any pathogen for which an antibody exists.

Other methods to detect agents such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) take about an hour, but can give more information about viruses and bacteria than BioFlash.