Nanoelectromechanical Sensor Can Instantly Detect Pathogens And Toxins

NEMS Cantilever The red and blue cones are silicon dioxide posts anchoring the cantilever. Rob Ilic, via PhysOrg

Tests for toxins or pathogens generally rely on chemical reactions. But a team of researchers at Cornell University have created a sensor that detects the presence of chemicals based on the mechanical disruption of a nanoscale system. The device can instantly detect as little as a single molecule of a substance.

The nanomachine takes the general shape of a diving board, a form called a cantilever. At one end of the cantilever sits a nanoelectromechanical oscillator; at the other end, a laser. When the laser strikes the oscillator, the whole cantilever vibrates at a specific frequency. If a particle lands on the cantilever, the frequency changes in a predictable way, revealing the identity of the particle.

An array of these sensors could analyze blood for the presence of viruses, or water for the presence of pollution. The super-high resolution of the device would allow for more accurate, and earlier, warnings than ever before possible.

[PhysOrg]