Introduction:
Biological Warfare is the intentional use of biological toxins or infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, and fungi, to harm or incapacitate humans. These agents are most commonly spread through aerosol dispersions and contaminated food or water, and are not always immediately noticeable since most of them have an incubation period before showing their impact. In order to set up countermeasures against the effect of the biological agents, detection and identification is crucial in order to provide medical therapy to those infected in order to increase their chances of survival. Biosensors help detect the agent quickly and accurately allowing individuals to get quarantined to prevent others from being exposed, and helps identify the type of treatment they need.
What is a Biosensor:
Biosensors are typically small and portable devices that act as a reliable analytical tool for both field and lab assay. The device is a combination of physical sensors with a biological part such as an enzyme or antibody.
Types of Biosensors:
Optical biosensors use disposable test strips that can measure multiple biological warfare agents at once. These hand-held strips, based on lateral flow assays, require no additional equipment and can detect a variety of agents including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), and several others. They are commercially available from companies like Advnt Biotechnologies and Alexeter Technologies, with options for detecting one, five, or eight agents simultaneously.
Beyond these simple strips, there are also more complex optical flow-through instruments. Devices like Raptor and Biohawk offer automated fluorometric assays for a broader range of agents. These instruments can analyze up to eight agents at once. Another promising option is the Biosensor 2200R, which utilizes magnetic nanoparticles and fluorescent antibodies to detect a wide spectrum of biological threats.
Piezoelectric biosensors offer an alternative approach for detecting biological warfare agents. Unlike many other biosensor types, they can function label-free, directly recording interactions between molecules like antibodies and antigens on the sensor surface, rather than relying on changes in the surrounding medium.
Conclusion:
As the field of biosensor technology continues to evolve, both optical and piezoelectric platforms are likely to see further advancements. The ongoing development of new materials and techniques will lead to enhanced sensitivity, user-friendliness, and broader applicability in biodefense strategies.
References
Pohanka, Miroslav. “Current Trends in the Biosensors for Biological Warfare Agents Assay.” Materials (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 July 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678440/#:~:text=The%20optical%20biosensors%20also%20have,lateral%20flow%20(immunochromatography)%20assay.
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