Bioweapons Detection

Introduction

The threat of bioterrorism, seen so vividly in the USA recently, has prompted an urgency to develop equipment capable of detecting harmful biological agents including anthrax. A team of researchers at Eastern Washington State University (Cheney, WA, USA) has developed a detector that uses photoacoustics to monitor air-borne particles (Chemweb.com, 1 November). This device collects air samples using cyclone technology and concentrates particle in the size range 1-10 microns. A pulsed laserbeam then irradiates the samples and produces an intense acoustic signal if any biological particles are present; each signal is unique to a particular species. Soot and dust particles produce only very low signals. The researchers envisage that sensors could be permanently mounted in `high-risk' areas such as mail sorting offices, and an audible signal triggered if any harmful biological agents are detected.

Source

AIBA, (TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, JANUARY 2002, Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 7)