Trapping Toxins Using Gold Nanoparticles

Billly Gates writes "British scientists have found a way to quickly and accurately find toxins by binding gold nanoparticles with sugar which then could be dissolved in a solution that changes color when any toxin is found. This procedure could be used in the medical field to find poisons and diseases as well as finding substances in bioterrorist attacks."

Re:Why nano?

[mkettler]

possibly too heavy to stay in suspension when coated with sugars?

Just a guess, but gold is pretty dense stuff.

Re:Bioterrorism?

[Sqwubbsy]

Are you suggesting Union Carbide willfully gassed the people of Bhopal? Because the article you link to suggests a malicious intent by the CEO.
That's a bit of a stretch from the Islamofascists who are willfully trying to kill non-believers.

I'm not saying UC isn't culpable, or that the settlement shouldn't have been more substantial, but you're comparing apples and oranges.

Also, how does a US$470,000,000 settlement only come to $300-500 per person unless it's spread out to 1,175,000 people and not the 50,000 mentioned in the article? Perhaps the state used/took some of the money for (I'm hoping) services and to recover their costs for assistance. Look, Bhopal was crappy and I think it has helped India step up to not be treated like a 3rd world nation, but weak analogies like your will not help bring justice.

Re:FUD

[Jaqui]

"What's next? "New construction techniques defend against terrorist bombings"?"

uh, since The Oklahoma City bombing that has been started. ~sigh~

the series "Frontlines of Construction" [ on Discovery Channel usually ] has covered how the construction industry is now engineering to protect against terrorist attacks. Simple things like stopping vehicles from parking close to the front of the building to more complex items like improving structural design to handle massive bomb damage and avoid catastrophic failure as happened on Oklahoma City event and with the WTC.

"when any toxin is found"?

[sirwired]

It changes color for "any toxin"? What exactly is a "toxin". As any toxicologist will tell you, poison is all about the dosage.

At 1000mg / dose, Tylenol is an effective, safe non-addictive pain releiver.

At 7000mg / dose, it causes irreversible liver damage in most adults without the antidote.

Poisoning by Iron supplements used to be a very common cause of poison deaths among children until there were mandated safety caps for iron supplements.

So again, what is a "toxin"?

SirWired