Monday, 15th October 2007 (2858 views)

Endeavours including crime investigations and athletic drug testing could be bolstered by new research into gold nanoparticles, it has been reported.

Scientists at the University of East Anglia are developing a method of using gold nanoparticles that can detect drug use through the examination of fingerprints, according to Scienceline.

Gold nanoparticles are attached to chemical markers before being mixed with an illuminating dye which is then splashed over a fingerprint.

Each nanoparticle binds to a particular substance hidden within the fingerprint, causing the compound to be illuminated and its nature detected by the researchers.

"We are aiming to produce a solution that can detect a range of substances and produce a different colour for each, so it will be possible to look at a fingerprint and obtain a lifestyle profile from it," said David Russell, chemist and director of research at the university, according to the news provider.

Meanwhile, recent research conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that gold nanorods can be used to produce a unique optical signature for cancerous tumours.

 

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