LIVERMORE, Calif., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Lawrence Livermore researchers have developed a new biodefense detector that can sense three distinctly different kinds of pathogens in the air.
The device can detect bacteria, viruses and toxins, said researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Early detection could help jump start treatment, saving lives after a bioterror attack.
The device uses antibodies, which are specific to each type of agent, to see what pathogens might be present. It then confirms positive results with a DNA test specific for the agent. The two tests, which no other system has, reduce the problem of false positives.
Called the Autonomous Pathogen Detection System, or APDS, the device has been under development since 1995. The latest version has been tested at the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah.
Lawrence Livermore is a defense lab operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. A study on the APDS is published in the January 1 edition of Analytical Chemistry.
