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Wednesday, 8th April 2009 (1310 views)

Scientists at Imperial College London have used gold in the development of new nanosensors that could be incorporated into medical and security devices.

Each of the items are around 500 times smaller than the width of a human hair and have been created by combining two specific nanostructures made from the precious metal in order to produce a prototype that can detect specific chemicals.

Possible uses for the sensors include indicating the presence of poisons or explosives, as well as identifying the location of protein within the blood samples of a patient.

Lead researcher Stefan Maier explained that pairing the two structures creates a "unique effect" on the way they scatter light.

"With further testing we hope to show that it is possible to harness this property to make a highly sensitive nanosenor," he stated.

In related news, gold has played a role in the development of a new battery that can be powered by genetically engineered viruses.

The breakthrough was made by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

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