ENVR 180 |
| Lead contamination in the environment such as water, poses a serious health hazard, particularly for young children and pregnant women. Several efforts have been made in the development of biosensors that can detect trace amounts of lead in the environment. We have previously demonstrated the use of the “8-17” DNAzyme as both fluorescent and colorimetric sensors for lead detection. Universal applicability of these sensors in different environments and regions is an important consideration for development and optimization, in particular, for real-time and on-site applications. Our current goal includes expanding the applicability of the fluorescence-based lead sensor to work at different temperatures. Through the introduction of mutations on the “8-17” DNAzyme, we have been able to tune the fluorescent DNAzyme sensor to be temperature independent from 4°C to 35°C. Our research efforts and results in this direction will be discussed. |
|
Sensors for Detection and Quantification of Contaminants in Drinking Water and the Environment
1:30 PM-5:10 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 235, Oral
Division of Environmental Chemistry |