Chitosan, a chitin-derived biopolymer found in crab shells, may be used as a key component in a new nanoscale sensor system that can detect minute quantities of explosives, bioagents, chemicals and other dangerous materials. Multiple miniature vibrating cantilevers are coated with chitosan, which then interact with specific substances and causes the cantilever's vibration patterns to change.

"This is an exciting and complex microsystem that bridges biotechnology and nanotechnology to address critical needs of homeland security applications. My colleagues and I are expecting this work to become a product in the near future," said Ghodssi, who has to date filed for six patents on the technology.

The developers have recently submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a sensor system to detect the presence of avian flu. See the University of Maryland Newsdesk for the feature story.

[Photo: JaxShells.org]