Several nanotechnology-based methods are employed for detecting biological contaminants:
1. Quantum Dots: Quantum dots are semiconductor nanoparticles that can emit fluorescence when exposed to light. When conjugated with specific antibodies, they can bind to biological contaminants, making them visible under fluorescence microscopy.
2. Gold Nanoparticles: Gold nanoparticles can be functionalized with specific ligands that bind to biological contaminants. This binding induces a color change that can be easily detected, even with the naked eye.
3. Carbon Nanotubes: Carbon nanotubes have unique electrical properties that change when they interact with biological contaminants. These changes can be measured to detect the presence of a contaminant.
4. Magnetic Nanoparticles: Magnetic nanoparticles can be used to isolate and concentrate biological contaminants from a sample. Once isolated, these contaminants can be analyzed using other methods.
