Napkin to help in detecting bioterror, infection agents

Published 18 September 2006

The humble table napkin may soon assume important responsibilities in detecting bioterror agents and infectious pathogens; Cornell University researchers are developing a nanofabric-made napkin to do just that

What with the diisturbing story about E. coli bacteria-carrying spinach, it is good to see work being conducted on developing pathogen detection methods which are inexpensive as they are effective. Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin — yes, a napkin — capable of detecting the presence of bacteria, viruses, and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. The napkin is made with special nanofabrics. Margaret Frey, a professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell, says that the napkins could have commercial use in food preparation or in the health care industry. “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,” Frey said. “So if you’re working in a meat-packing plant, for instance, you could swipe it across some hamburger and quickly and easily detect E. coli bacteria.” The napkin is a few years away from commercial production, she said.

The napkin is similar to a common household napkin, but it is coated with a biodegradable absorbent wipe made with nanofibers containing antibodies to numerous biohazards and chemicals. Those antibodies would signal the presence of bacteria or viruses by changing color or through another effect. Users would simply wipe the napkin across a surface; if a biohazard were detected, the surface could be disinfected and retested with another napkin to be sure it was no longer contaminated, she said. “(The) antibodies in the fabric are going to selectively latch onto whatever pathogen that they match. 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,” Frey said.

For intrigued investors: The Cornell research team has applied for patents and is looking for partners who could help bring the napkin to a commercial market.

-read more in this Newsday report