Technological Platforms Based on Micro/Nanobiosensors as Early Warning Systems for Biological Warfare

Abstract

Biological and chemical warfare are fields where new types of analyzers (faster, direct, smaller and cheaper than conventional methods) are demanded. In order to achieve a multibiosensor technological platform that could be used as an early warning system for biological and/or chemical warfare, we are working in the development of two different approaches. A platform based on Optoelectronics biosensors (evanescent wave detection). Two optical biosensors have been already developed: a portable Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor (actually in commercialization) and an integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer device. For the second sensor, the use of standard Si microelectronics technology allow the possibility for integration of optical, fluidics and electrical function on one chip in order to obtain a complete lab-on-a-chip. A multibiosensor platform based on Nanomechanical biosensors. Microcantilever biosensors are a new class of high sensitivity biosensors able of performing local, high resolution and label-free molecular recognition measurements. Moreover, nanomechanical biosensors based on microcantilevers have been recently reported as a promisingly alternative to current DNA-chips allowing real-time monitoring of DNA without need of labelling. For that reason, we are working in the development of a portable multibiosensor microsystem based on an array of microcantilevers [2] able to detect analytes with femtomolar sensitivity and ability for discerning single base variations in DNA strands.