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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Researchers in the USA have developed a graphene-based electrochemical sensor capable of detecting histamines (allergens) and toxins in food much faster than standard laboratory tests.
[...] The team created high-resolution interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) on flexible substrates, which they converted into histamine sensors by covalently linking monoclonal antibodies to oxygen moieties created on the graphene surface by a CO2 thermal annealing process.
They then tested the sensors in both a buffering solution (PBS) and fish broth, to see how effective they were at detecting histamines.
Co-author Kshama Parate, from Iowa State University, said: "We found the graphene biosensor could detect histamine in PBS and fish broth over toxicologically-relevant ranges of 6.25 to 100 parts per million (ppm) and 6.25 to 200 ppm, respectively, with similar detection limits of 2.52 ppm and 3.41 ppm, respectively. These sensor results are significant, as histamine levels over 50 ppm in fish can cause adverse health effects including severe allergic reactions—for example, scombroid food poisoning.
[...] Senior author Dr. Jonathan Claussen, from Iowa State University, said: "This type of biosensor could be used in food processing facilities, import and export ports, and supermarkets where continuous on-site monitoring of food samples is needed. This on-site testing will eliminate the need to send food samples for laboratory testing, which requires additional handling steps, increases time and cost to histamine analysis, and consequently increases the risk of foodborne illnesses and food wastage.
"It could also likely be used in other biosensing applications where rapid monitoring of target molecules is needed, as the sample pre-treatment is eliminated using the developed immunosensing protocol.
Journal Reference:
Jonathan Claussen, Kshama Parate.Aerosol-jet-printed graphene electrochemical histamine sensors for food safety monitoring - IOPscience, 2D Materials (DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/ab8919)
(Score: 1) by jman on Saturday June 13 2020, @12:22PM
Am not conversant in this technology, but wonder if it could be adapted to our current virus situation.
Realized some months ago the real problem is not folks getting sick, or even folks passing the virus along, but simply that we can't easily detect it. Thus the undertaking of sweeping lock-downs and other socially intrusive actions.
There was a Damon Night story, a variation of "The Analogues" (if I'm remembering correctly, the one about the alkie in the bar with the "buddy" that kept him on the straight and narrow) wherein a dangerous social deviant was made to smell really, really bad, so he could never get close enough to other humans and commit whatever perverted things he wanted to practice.
He got around it temporarily by going swimming at the local public pool, where he could be again close to folks, albeit underwater, and imagine his fiendish thoughts, even if he couldn't act upon them.
This worked fine until he came up for air and everyone around him noticed that awful odor.
Sure would be nice if folks that had the virus would just glow purple as a warning to those around them. Perhaps this technology could make that happen.