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Written by Daniel
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Wednesday, 09 August 2006 08:38 |
Nanowires built to fight bioterrorism By Stefanie Olsen Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: August 8, 2006, 1:27 PM PDT
Scientists have discovered a new method for detecting deadly pathogens like Anthrax or smallpox almost immediately after they've been released into the air.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said this week that they've developed a so-called nanowire bar-code system that could one day be used to create portable, quick-acting sensors designed to identify hundreds of airborne pathogens within minutes.
"If there is an outbreak, we want to know in a fast, efficient manner what agent has infiltrated the room," said Jeffrey Tok, a scientist in LLNL's biosecurity and nanosciences lab and the lead researcher on the development. "This technology we've developed signifies an initial, giant step toward accomplishing that."
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