Special Issue: "Toxin Sensors"  Sensors Journal

Guest Editor
Dr. Chris R. Taitt
Code 6900, Ctr. Bio/Molec. Sci. Engr., Naval Research Laboratory
4555 Overlook Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20375-5348
Tel. 202-404-4208 (DSN 754); Fax 202-404-8688
E-mail: [email protected]
Chair: 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Bioanalytical Sensors at Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, USA
BIOANALYTICAL SENSORS
June 29 - July 4, 2008
Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2008&program=biosens

Deadline for Paper Submission:  31 October 2008

Summary

As defined for this special issue, toxins are a subset of poisonous materials – bio-organic compounds of biological origin that have a deleterious effect on humans and other higher animals.  Although infectious agents can be detected and identified based on their nucleic acid sequences, the presence of an active toxin cannot necessarily be determined based entirely on the presence of its gene sequence.  Furthermore, the short timeframe from exposure to clinical manifestation (minutes to hours) requires a rapid turnaround for mitigation and treatment of the toxic effects.  Thus, rapid and sensitive sensors are needed to test not only for the presence of toxin, but also its concentration and activity.  This special issue is devoted to describing the latest research in development and application of sensors for detection/identification of toxins as well as for diagnosis of intoxication.  Specific topics of interest include: basic, proof-of-concept studies of new methods, materials, and systems for toxin detection/identification; use of toxin sensors in new environments or matrices; automation of state-of-the-art toxin sensors; use of sensors to diagnose intoxication, and blind testing of extant toxin sensors with unknown samples.  Reviews of systems with demonstrated efficacy for toxin detection are also welcome.

Keywords

toxin, biotoxin, toxic agent, biomolecule, biosensor, detection, immunoassay, immunosensor, antibody, receptor

Planned Papers

Tentative Title: NMR-thermometers and their Feasibility Evaluation for Different Applications 
Author: Anastasia Vyalikh, Department of Surface Modification, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden
Phone: +49 (0)351 4658432, Fax: +49 (0)351 4658231, Hohe Str. 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany

Tentative Title: Fiber Optic Sensor for Salmonella Detection
Author: Arun Bhunia, BVSc, PhD, Professor of Molecular Food Microbiology
Department of Food Science, Purdue University, 745 Agriculture Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907
Tel: (765) 494-5443, FAX: (765) 494-7953, E.mail: [email protected], http://www.foodsci.purdue.edu/research/labs/bhunia/

Title: Electrochemical Immunosensor Based on Polythionine/Gold Nanoparticles for the Determination of Aflatoxin B1
Authors: Joseph H.O. Owino, Omotayo A. Arotiba, Nicolette Hendricks, Everlyne A. Songa, Nazeem Jahed, Tesfaye T. Waryo, Priscilla G .L. Baker and Emmanuel I. Iwuoha*
SensorLab, Department of Chemistry, University of Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Cape Town, South Africa
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:[email protected]
Abstract: An immunosensor based on gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and polythionine modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for determination of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was developed. Aflatoxin B1-BSA conjugate was immobilised on the modified GCE. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and Bovine serum albumin were used to block sites against non-specific binding. Competition reaction was allowed to take place between the free AFB1 and AFB1-conjugate for the binding sites of the anti-aflatoxin B1 antibody. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to characterize the electrochemical properties of the modified process. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to monitor the analytical signal. HRP was chosen due to its catalytic properties. The current response decreased with an increase in AFB1 concentration in the range of 0.6-2.4 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.07 and 0.16 ng/mL for HRP and BSA blocked immunosensors respectively. The proposed method eliminates the use enzymatic labels.
Keywords: Immunosensor; Gold nanoparticles; Aflatoxin B1; Polythionine; Horseradish peroxidise (HRP)

Submission

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Sensors Journal Special Issues

MDPI - Matthias Burkhalter - 18 September 2008