top of page
COMBATING BIOTERRORISM
Biosensors can offer a lot to the biodefense field by detecting deadly substances that could very easily ruin our health. They can not only uncover harmful germs and agents in chemical warfare, but also can alert officials to illicit drugs and explosives before they cause any fatalities. Thus, the early warning given by biosensors can, in essence, save lives. With biosensors, detecting those lethal diseases just got a whole lot easier and safer.
Bioterrorism is the intentional release of a biological agent, such as bacteria, viruses or other microbes, to harm and even kill humans. Although most of the agents naturally occur in nature, they can be made more powerful and resistant to modern drugs and can multiply and spread quicker. The Center for Disease Control Prevention lists in the following a few of their top biological agents to be most cautious of:
-
Bacilius anthracis (Anthrax)
-
Yersinia pestis (Plague)
-
Smallpox
-
Ebola
-
Botulis
These biological agents can be passed on through air, water, and food, and are often hard to trace. Since biosensors are inherently extremely sensitive, they are being developed to detect these detrimental germs. Biosensors help biodefense in that they identify the problem precisely with speed.
-
Cholera
-
E. coli
-
Ricin
-
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (multi-drug resistant)
In 2003, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory finished developing the CANARY, short for Cellular Analysis and Notification of Antigen Risks and Yields. The CANARY is a biosensor technology that can detect airborne pathogens such as the elusive anthrax and smallpox in minutes using B-lympocytes. Now, the CANARY has been licensed to Innovative Biosensors who plan to use it to aid biodefense. Its name relates back to the canaries used in the coal mines - miners would hang canaries further into the tunnel and if toxic gases killed the bird, coal miners knew to get out for safety.
(W-51)
(W-52)
(I-72) to (I-74)
(I-75) to (I-77)
bottom of page