RESEARCH PROFILE: Toxin detection, in the palm of your hand

摘要

When toxic chemicals are released into the environment by industrial pollution, transport-related spills, or chemical warfare, timely detection is crucial for planning an effective response. Because environmental scientists need cost-effective detectors that can be widely distributed in the field, Juan G. Santiago, Christopher J. Backhouse, and colleagues at Stanford University and the University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada) developed a handheld device that indirectly detects unlabeled toxins in water with a fluorescence-based assay. They report their results in AC (DOI 10.1021/ac902526g).