BIOSENSORS FOR DETECTION OF BIOTERRORIST THREATS

摘要

There is no universal sensor appropriate for the detection of bioterrorist threats in all situations. All biothreats are composed of very similar compounds-molecules composed predominantly of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms and generally organized into amino acids and nucleotides. These molecules are highly similar when viewed spectroscopically or using other long-range interrogation techniques. Thus specific identification requires direct contact with the threat for further analysis. The most rapid and specific methods for such analyses involve molecular recognition using complementary biomolecules. Such molecules are incorporated into biosensors to provide an optoelectronic signal when the recognition event occurs. Distinct biosensor approaches provide different information and are useful in different scenarios.