Handheld FRET-Aptamer Sensor for Agricultural Security

America is highly vulnerable to agricultural bioterrorism. A successful attack could be devastating to the U.S. and world economy. Rapid detection of agricultural bioterrorism agents is critical to limiting or halting the spread of such disease agents. This project concerns development of a rapid, facile, one-step fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-aptamer assay and handheld sensor for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses (possible agricultural bioterrorism agents). Re-introduction of FMD into the U.S. could be limited or stopped by appropriate quarantine measures if detected on farms early in the process of spreading. The handheld sensor and FRET assays are intended to fulfill this need. If successful, this platform technology could be developed to detect other bioterrorism agents as well.