Biodegradable Napkin Rapidly Detects Biohazards

A biodegradable napkin, featuring sensitive nanofibers, may quickly detect biohazards from avian flu to Escherichia coli.

Detecting bacteria, viruses, and other dangerous substances in hospitals, airplanes, and other commonly contaminated places could soon be as easy as wiping a napkin or paper towel across a surface, according to Margaret Frey, an assistant professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA).

Once fully developed, the biodegradable absorbent wipe would contain nanofibers containing antibodies to numerous biohazards and chemicals and would signal by changing color, or through another effect when the antibodies attach to their targets. Users would simply wipe the napkin across a surface; if a biohazard is detected, the surface could be disinfected and retested with another napkin to be sure it is no longer contaminated.

Prof. Frey and colleagues developed nanofibers with platforms made of biotin, a part of the B vitamin complex, and the protein streptavidin, which can hold the antibodies. Composed of a polymer compound made from corn, they intend to incorporate nanofibers into conventional paper products to keep costs low. Nanofibers, with diameters near 100 nm (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, or about three times the diameter of an atom), provide extremely large surface areas for sensing and increased absorbency, compared with conventional fibers.

"It's very inexpensive, it wouldn't require that someone be highly trained to use it, and it could be activated for whatever you want to find,” said Prof. Frey, "So if you are working in a meat-packing plant, for instance, you could swipe it across some hamburger and quickly and easily detect E coli bacteria.” She reported on the study at the American Chemical Society's national meeting in September 2006, in San Francisco (CA, USA). "Using this method we should, in theory, be able to quickly activate the fabric to detect whatever is the hazard of the week, whether it is bird flu, mad cow disease, or anthrax.”



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