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Friday, 22nd July 2005 (6202 views)

Gold nanoparticles are to aid virus detection in a new research and development agreement announced this week.<br/><br/>Canadian biopharmaceutical company Biophage Pharma has signed an agreement with the National Taiwan University to research biosensors based on nanotechnology that can detect viruses and slow growing microorganisms.<br/><br/>In particular, the partnership will aim to accelerate the development and the applications of the nanotechnology, which comes in the form of a wireless monitoring system.<br/><br/>Gold nanoparticles are one of the components of the monitoring system, which also uses Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and "phages", or antibodies.<br/><br/>It is hoped the system could aid in the detection of such viruses as tuberculosis, which is a growing problem in developing countries.<br/><br/>Dr Mandeville, president and chief executive of Biophage Pharma, said that the partnership was an "exciting development".<br/><br/>"The detection of very slowly growing bacteria such as mycobacterium (seven to ten days for tuberculosis) and also viruses are presently difficult with our impedance-based biosensor," he explained. <br/><br/>"The use of SPR and phages (or antibodies) will solve this difficulty and is, therefore, a perfect fit with the portfolio of products we are developing."<br/><img alt="track" src="http://feeds.directnews.org.uk/feedtrack/dn.gif?feedid=196&itemid=15009618"/>

 

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