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Self-Propelling Microparticles Spot Ricin In Minutes (acs.org)
ckwu writes: Tiny rocketlike particles that move around on their own in a hydrogen peroxide solution can detect trace amounts of the lethal toxin ricin within minutes. The tube-shaped, microsized particles--made of graphene oxide lined with platinum--carry sensor molecules that glow when they bind to ricin. In a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution, the platinum catalyzes the breakdown of the peroxide into water and oxygen. The oxygen bubbles shoot out one end of the tube, propelling them in the liquid like little rockets. The swimming motors could actively seek out ricin in a sample and speed up detection, paving the way towards a quick, easy way to detect the bioterrorism agent in food and water samples (without having to bring them back to a lab).
A better headline might be: Micromissiles deliver payload, light ricin up.
This is a pretty cool concept, but I'm having some trouble convincing myself that nanoscopic swimming platinum/graphene tubes are really THAT much more effective than just, um, agitating the sample with the fluorescent agent?
Can it detect ricin in a packet of Stevia?
Minute Ricen