NASA uses nantotechnology to beat biohazards
NASA has developed a nanotechnology-based biosensor designed to prevent the spread of potentially deadly biohazards in water, food and other contaminated sources.
The technology, which makes use of ultra-sensitive carbon nanotubes to detect trace amounts of specific bacteria, viruses and parasites, has been licensed to Early Warning Inc.based in Troy, New York.
Under a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement, NASA and Early Warning jointly will develop biosensor enhancements.
Meyya Meyyappan, chief scientist for exploration technology and former director of the Center for Nanotechnology at Ames, said: "When biohazards are present, the biosensor generates an electrical signal, which is used to determine the presence and concentration levels of specific micro-organisms in the sample. Because of their tiny size, millions of nanotubes can fit on a single biosensor chip."
Early Warning company officials say food and beverage companies, water agencies, industrial plants, hospitals and airlines could use the biosensor to prevent outbreaks of illnesses caused by pathogens - without needing a laboratory or technicians. Early Warning expects to launch its water-testing products in late 2008.
"Ambitious space missions have produced some of the world's most creative technologies by NASA and its industrial partners," said Harry Partridge, deputy director of the Space Technologies Division at Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in California – where the technology was licensed. "Not only does NASA want these technologies used in space applications, an equally important objective is the transition of NASA research into real world products that can benefit our society."