Molecular recognition of biowarfare agents using micromechanical sensors.

Recent terrorist events have demonstrated that an urgent and widespread need exists for the development of novel sensors for threat detection, especially biowarfare agents. The advent of inexpensive, mass-produced microcantilever sensors promises to bring about a revolution in detection of terrorist threats. Extremely sensitive and highly selective sensors can be developed for using a microcantilever platform. Microcantilevers undergo bending when molecules are adsorbed on a single side. For biowarfare agent detection, specificity is achieved by immobilizing antibodies on one side of the cantilever. Antigen adsorption decreases surface energy and stress, resulting in cantilever deflection.