Shortly after these scares, the federal government’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Research and Technology Initiative and the National Research Council began an project to create a technology that would efficiently detect substances like anthrax.

Seven years later, scientists are working on the last step.

Starting in 2004 and wrapping up in the summer of 2007, the first phase of the project was dedicated to developing the technology.

“We developed a new technology in a lab environment that could detect biological threats,” says Caroline Vachon, project leader at the NRC Industrial Materials Institute in Boucherville, Quebec.

RCMP officers train for detecting biological threats. With the new biosensor, their jobs will be much easier than before.

Phase 1: The software

This technology is a biosensor, a probe containing the DNA sequence of anthrax—a short sequence of 20-25 nucleotide bases. This sequence is like an autograph that makes it unique from other substances.

This portion only contains one side of the anthrax DNA’s signature double helix structure.

The probe will then be put in contact with the unknown substance in the polymer-based solution. If the two substances are the same, the DNA from both parts will then bond and form the full double helix, much like two magnets attracting each other.

“The polymer solution uses microfluidics technology,” says Mario Leclerc, one of the scientists on the team. “[The solution] recognizes the [newly-formed] helix and becomes fluorescent, telling us there is anthrax present.”

This signal will be unmistakable through the use of fluorophore, a dye-like substance that amplifies the fluorescent signal by 100 to 1000 times.

But, if the two substances don’t match, then there won’t be a signal at all.

Before this latest innovation, emergency responders had to bring the unknown substance back to the lab and test it through a series of electrical reactions to detect what it was — an inefficient process.

“It was very time consuming and prone to contamination,” says Vachon. “The scientists could easily be amplifying the DNA of another substance that accidentally contaminated the sample on the way back to the lab.”

Anthrax is just one of the substances this new probe will be able to detect. “First responders will bring several different probes to a scene to detect for unknown substances,” she says. “We’re demonstrating this with anthrax, but we can detect others, as long as we have the [known DNA sequence of other substances].”            

Phase 2: The hardware

Now that the “software” part has been developed, scientists have received funding from the federal government to begin work on the “hardware” component. This three-year initiative will give scientists time to develop a casing for the biosensor chip so first responders like the RCMP will be able to carry and use it on-site.

“Previously we had biosensors that were only usable in lab environments,” says Ian Summerell, instrumentation engineer with the RCMP’s Explosives and Technology Disposal Section.

Summerell says the older biosensors had to be used at room temperature. This meant often having to bring the unknown substance back to the lab and wait to cool it down or heat it up.

With the new biosensor, this won’t be necessary.

Although the design of the biosensor is currently confidential, the proportions of the chip look like this.

“It can be used at the scene and be able to detect if it’s anthrax in a very short amount of time,” he says. “I’m hoping for something with a battery power of at least four hours, buttons big enough so responders with gloves can push them. And, something easily transported because wearing 20 to 80 pounds of equipment can get tiring.”

Scientists working on the project are confident the first prototype of the biosensor will be available by the end of 2008.

Vachon, the project leader, says the biosensor is already being eyed by key players in the field, besides the RCMP. “The U.S. Military has already expressed interest in the project. From a distance, but you never know….”

Commercial consumption

Leclerc says he also hopes the biosensor will eventually be available for commercial consumption, and that it will be something the general public can purchase at a drugstore.

“It will be like a pregnancy test,” he says. “If you wanted to know if you’re pregnant or not 20 years ago, you’d go to the doctor’s to get tests. But now, you can find out in your own home.