Label-free electronic detection of bio-toxins using aligned carbon nanotubes.

A facile route for sensitive label-free detection of bio-toxins using aligned single walled carbon nanotubes is described. This approach involves patterning of a catalyst on the surface of a quartz substrate using a sub-100 µm stripe-patterned polydimethylsiloxane stamp for aligned carbon nanotube generation followed by fabrication of field effect transistor (FET). Atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy are employed to characterize the synthesized nanotubes. Unlike previous reports, the adopted approach enables direct electronic detection of bio-toxins with sensitivities comparable to ELISA. As a proof of concept, the fabricated FET responds to nM concentration levels (with a LOD of ∼2 nM) of epsilon toxin produced by Clostridium perfringens and a prominent food toxin. This facile approach could be customized to detect other classes of toxins and biomarkers upon appropriate functionalization of the aligned carbon nanotubes. Finally, we demonstrate the use of the FET-platform for detection of toxin in more complex matrices such as orange juice.

The use of antibodies in the treatment of infectious diseases.

There is a long history of the use of antibodies in the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases, because these molecules play a critical role in directing the effector mechanisms of the immune system against the pathogens they recognise. However, the widespread application of this therapy has been hampered by allergic reactions, production costs and the availability of alternative drugs such as antibiotics. Some of these obstacles can now be overcome with advances in biotechnology, which has enabled the development of antibody-based drugs for use first in treating cancer, and recently, for treating infectious diseases. The efficacy of such antibodies has been demonstrated in various in vitro studies, animal models and clinical trials for a variety of both viral and bacterial pathogens. Antibodies appear to hold great promise as a new class of drugs against infectious diseases.