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Tiny 'Lab-on-a-Chip' Can Detect Pollutants, Disease and Biological Weapons
February 18, 2009For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism.
Until now. Working in the miniaturized world of nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University researchers have made an enormous - and humane - leap forward in the detection of pollutants.
A team led by Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, vice-dean of TAU's Faculty of Engineering, has developed a nano-sized laboratory, complete with a microscopic workbench, to measure water quality in real time. Their "lab on a chip" is a breakthrough in the effort to keep water safe from pollution and bioterrorist threats, pairing biology with the cutting-edge capabilities of nanotechnology.
"We've developed a platform - essentially a micro-sized, quarter-inch square 'lab' - employing genetically engineered bacteria that light up when presented with a stressor in water," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. Equipment on the little chip can work to help detect very tiny light levels produced by the bacteria.
Instead of using animals to help detect threats to a water supply, Prof. Shacham-Diamand says, "Our system is based on a plastic chip that is more humane, much faster, more sensitive and much cheaper."
Tiny Lab-on-Chip Boosts Accuracy
"Basically, ours is an innovative advance in the 'lab on a chip' system," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. "It's an ingenious nano-scale platform designed to get information out of biological events. Our solution can monitor water with never-before-achieved levels of accuracy. But as a platform, it can also be used for unlimited purposes, such as investigating stem cell therapies or treating cancer."
According to published literature, Tel Aviv University is one of the top five universities in the world pioneering the "lab on a chip" concept. The nanolabs can be used to evaluate several biological processes with practical applications, such as microbes in water, stem cells, or breast cancer development. Prof. Shacham-Diamand's active lab group publishes a major paper about once a month in this field, most recently in the journal Nano Letters.
Environmental, Medical and Defense Uses for "Mini-Labs"
Partnering with other Israeli scientists, Tel Aviv University is currently building and commercializing its water-testing mini-labs to measure and monitor how genetically engineered bacteria respond to pollution such as E. coli in water. Cities across Israel have expressed interest in the technology, as has the state of Hawaii.
But other uses are being explored as well. Funded by a $3 million grant from the United States Department of Defense Projects Agency (DARPA), the new lab-on-a-chip could become a defensive weapon that protects America from biological warfare. His system, Prof. Shacham-Diamand says, can be also modified to react to chemical threats and pollution. With some tweaking here and there, it can be updated as new threats are detected.
Prof. Shacham-Diamond's research has also attracted the interest of cancer researchers around the world. He recently addressed 400 physicians at a World Cancer Conference who are seeking new devices to measure and monitor cancer and pharmaceuticals. "They need sensors like Tel Aviv University's lab on a chip. It's a hot topic now," says Prof. Shacham-Diamond.
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
"We've developed a platform - essentially a micro-sized, quarter-inch square 'lab' - employing genetically engineered bacteria that light up when presented with a stressor in water," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. Equipment on the little chip can work to help detect very tiny light levels produced by the bacteria.
Instead of using animals to help detect threats to a water supply, Prof. Shacham-Diamand says, "Our system is based on a plastic chip that is more humane, much faster, more sensitive and much cheaper."
Tiny Lab-on-Chip Boosts Accuracy
"Basically, ours is an innovative advance in the 'lab on a chip' system," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. "It's an ingenious nano-scale platform designed to get information out of biological events. Our solution can monitor water with never-before-achieved levels of accuracy. But as a platform, it can also be used for unlimited purposes, such as investigating stem cell therapies or treating cancer."
According to published literature, Tel Aviv University is one of the top five universities in the world pioneering the "lab on a chip" concept. The nanolabs can be used to evaluate several biological processes with practical applications, such as microbes in water, stem cells, or breast cancer development. Prof. Shacham-Diamand's active lab group publishes a major paper about once a month in this field, most recently in the journal Nano Letters.
Environmental, Medical and Defense Uses for "Mini-Labs"
Partnering with other Israeli scientists, Tel Aviv University is currently building and commercializing its water-testing mini-labs to measure and monitor how genetically engineered bacteria respond to pollution such as E. coli in water. Cities across Israel have expressed interest in the technology, as has the state of Hawaii.
But other uses are being explored as well. Funded by a $3 million grant from the United States Department of Defense Projects Agency (DARPA), the new lab-on-a-chip could become a defensive weapon that protects America from biological warfare. His system, Prof. Shacham-Diamand says, can be also modified to react to chemical threats and pollution. With some tweaking here and there, it can be updated as new threats are detected.
Prof. Shacham-Diamond's research has also attracted the interest of cancer researchers around the world. He recently addressed 400 physicians at a World Cancer Conference who are seeking new devices to measure and monitor cancer and pharmaceuticals. "They need sensors like Tel Aviv University's lab on a chip. It's a hot topic now," says Prof. Shacham-Diamond.
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Biological Weapons Current Events and Biological Weapons News RSSNIST researchers 'all aglow' over new test of toxin strength
A new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assay using a "glow or no glow" technique may soon help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defend the nation against a spectrum of biological weapons that could be used in a terrorist attack.
Researchers: Molecular forklifts overcome obstacle to 'smart dust'
Algae is a livid green giveaway of nutrient pollution in a lake. Scientists would love to reproduce that action in tiny particles that would turn different colors if exposed to biological weapons, food spoilage or signs of poor health in the blood.
Using live fish, new tool a sentinel for environmental contamination
Researchers have harnessed the sensitivity of days-old fish embryos to create a tool capable of detecting a range of harmful chemicals.
Scientists reveal evolutionary intricacies of Rickettsia pathogens
Scientists from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have unveiled some of the evolutionary intricacies of rickettsial pathogens by analyzing over a decade's worth of genomic data.
Trade-offs reveal no clear favorites in alternative energy market
The nuclear power industry is riding the green wave back into public favor with its promise of a low-carbon solution to our growing energy needs. But even as the industry struggles to dictate what role nuclear can realistically play, it is bound by a global energy landscape-from solar to carbon sequestration-that is still predominantly shaped by the marketplace.
Discovery may help defang viruses
Researchers may be able to tinker with a single amino acid of an enzyme that helps viruses multiply to render them harmless, according to molecular biologists who say the discovery could pave the way for a fast and cheap method of making vaccines.
Fluorescent glass SRMs are new tool for spectroscopy
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed two new calibration tools to help correct and validate the performance of analytic instruments that identify substances based on fluorescence.
Infection detectives use disease 'fingerprints' to track common infections in children
Infectious disease specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found a new method for identifying suspect viruses and bacteria that cause some of the most common acute infections in children.
Portable 'lab on a chip' could speed blood tests
Testing soldiers to see if they have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons could soon be much faster and easier, thanks to MIT researchers who are helping to develop a tiny diagnostic device that could be carried into battle.
New anthrax inhibitor could combat antibiotic-resistant strains
In a new approach to treating anthrax exposure, a team of scientists has created an inhibitor designed to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant strains.
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