Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Fluorescence Biosensors for Pathogen Recognition in Water Systems

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2008 · Research Letters in Nanotechnology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1155/2008/156358· OSTI ID:1290298

Upadhyayula, Venkata K. K. ^[1]; Ghoshroy, Soumitra ^[2]; Nair, Vinod S. ^[3]; Smith, Geoffrey B. ^[4]; Mitchell, Martha C. ^[5]; Deng, Shuguang ^[5]

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1. Department of Chemical Engineering, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3805, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA, Microbiology & Applied Biochemistry, Airbase Sciences Branch AFRL/RXQL, 139 Barnes Drive, Suite 2, Tyndall AFB, FL 32403, USA
2. Department of Biology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
3. Research Technologies Section (RTB), Rocky Mountain Laboratories (NIAID, NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
4. Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
5. Department of Chemical Engineering, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3805, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA

The possibility of using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) aggregates as fluorescence sensors for pathogen recognition in drinking water treatment applications has been studied. Batch adsorption study is conducted to adsorb large concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus aureus SH 1000 and Escherichia coli pKV-11 on single-walled carbon nanotubes. Subsequently the immobilized bacteria are detected with confocal microscopy by coating the nanotubes with fluorescence emitting antibodies. The Freundlich adsorption equilibrium constant ( k ) for S.aureus and E.coli determined from batch adsorption study was found to be $9\times {10}^8$ and $2\times {10}^8$  ml/g, respectively. The visualization of bacterial cells adsorbed on fluorescently modified carbon nanotubes is also clearly seen. The results indicate that hydrophobic single-walled carbon nanotubes have excellent bacterial adsorption capacity and fluorescent detection capability. This is an important advancement in designing fluorescence biosensors for pathogen recognition in water systems.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1290298
• Journal Information: Research Letters in Nanotechnology, Journal Name: Research Letters in Nanotechnology Vol. 2008; ISSN 1687-6849
• Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English