Abstract
A new immunoaffinity fluorometric biosensor has been developed for detecting and quantifying aflatoxins, a family of potent fungi-produced carcinogens that are commonly found in a variety of agricultural products. They have also been cited as biological agents under weapons development. The handheld, self-contained biosensor is fully automatic, highly sensitive, quick, quantitative, and requires no special storage. Concentrations from 0.1 to 50 parts per billion can be determined in less than 2 min with a 1-mL sample volume. The device operates on the principles of immunoaffinity for specificity and fluorescence for a quantitative assay. The analytic procedure is flexible so that other chemical and biological analytes can be detected with minor modifications to the current device. Advances in electro-optical components, electronics, and miniaturized fluidics were combined to produce this reliable, small, and versatile instrument.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 372-377 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest (Applied Physics Laboratory) |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - 1999 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Aflatoxin
- Automated
- Biosensor
- Fluorescence
- Handheld
- Immunoaffinity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Engineering
- General Physics and Astronomy