title: Molecular recognition of biowarfare agents using micromechanical sensors.
abstract: Recent terrorist events have demonstrated that an urgent and widespread need exists for the development of novel sensors for threat detection, especially biowarfare agents. The advent of inexpensive, mass-produced microcantilever sensors promises to bring about a revolution in detection of terrorist threats. Extremely sensitive and highly selective sensors can be developed for using a microcantilever platform. Microcantilevers undergo bending when molecules are adsorbed on a single side. For biowarfare agent detection, specificity is achieved by immobilizing antibodies on one side of the cantilever. Antigen adsorption decreases surface energy and stress, resulting in cantilever deflection.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA 71272, USA. hji@chem.latech.edu
authors.forename: Hai Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thundat
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001694:Biological Warfare; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D012276:Ricin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D014406:Tularemia / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D012276:Ricin