Nanoparticles, ranging from 29 to 230 nanometers across, could be used to trap antibodies to the virus causing cervical cancer or to the bacteria that cause potentially deadly diarrhoea.
Scientists said it was not so difficult to immobilize on nanoparticles, synthetic or monoclonal antibodies that respond to the human papilloma virus, HPV18, and the toxic gut microbe Escherichia coli O157:H7.
Once the antibodies are trapped, they can be exposed to a potentially contaminated sample. If pathogen particles are present, some will stick to the antibodies and this change can then be detected by a conventional test or analysis. Read more…
