Abstract
Antibody-functionalized carbon nanotube devices have been suggested for use as bacterial detectors for monitoring of food purity in transit from the farm to the kitchen. Here we report progress towards that goal by demonstrating specific detection of Salmonella in complex nutrient broth solutions using nanotube transistors functionalized with covalently-bound anti-Salmonella antibodies. The small size of the active device region makes them compatible with integration in large-scale arrays. We find that the on-state current of the transistor is sensitive specifically to the Salmonella concentration and saturates at low concentration (<1000 cfu/ml). In contrast, the carrier mobility is affected comparably by Salmonella and other bacteria types, with no sign of saturation even at much larger concentrations (108 cfu/ml).
Highlights
Microbial pathogens cause an estimated annual 6.5-81 million cases of food borne human illness in the US, with significant mortality, and costs ranging from $ 2.9 - $ 6.7 billion annually.[1]
Newer methods based on PCR are very sensitive but require pure samples, lengthy processing times and expertise in molecular biology.[3]
Detection methods based on ELISA or PCR are much quicker, but may require pure samples, lengthy processing times, expertise in molecular biology and they could be quite expensive.[5]
Summary
Microbial pathogens cause an estimated annual 6.5-81 million cases of food borne human illness in the US, with significant mortality, and costs ranging from $ 2.9 - $ 6.7 billion annually.[1]. We used a method to covalently bind anti-Salmonella antibodies to the CNT sidewall, since this affords additional control over the conformation and location of the bio-recognition element with respect to the nanotube device.
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