TMB-mediated etching of urchin-like gold nanostructures for colorimetric sensing.

The morphology-dependent localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanostructures has been widely utilized for designing sensors. One method relies on the color change of gold nanoparticles upon etching. In previous work, TMBoxidized from 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was found to etch gold nanorods (AuNRs), leading to a spectrum of different colors.

A microsensor for the detection of a single pathogenic bacterium using magnetotactic bacteria-based bio-carriers: simulations and preliminary experiments.

The proposed Magnetotactic Bacteria (MTB) based bio-carrier has the potential to greatly improve pathogenic bacteria detection time, specificity, and sensitivity. Microbeads are attached to the MTB and are modified with a coating of an antibody or phage that is specific to the target pathogenic bacteria. Using magnetic fields, the modified MTB are swept through a solution and the target bacteria present become attached to the microbeads (due to the coating).