Toxins 2010, 2(1), 24-53; doi:10.3390/toxins2010024
Review

Sensing the Deadliest Toxin: Technologies for Botulinum Neurotoxin Detection

Petr Čapek 1 email and Tobin J. Dickerson 2,* email
1 Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA 2 Department of Chemistry and Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 1 December 2009; in revised form: 17 December 2009 / Accepted: 22 December 2009 / Published: 7 January 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurotoxins of Biological Origin)
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Abstract: Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies of medical applications of BoNTs and detection of poisoned food, as well as for response to potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, the most common method of BoNT detection is the mouse bioassay. While this assay is sensitive, it is slow, quite expensive, has limited throughput and requires sacrificing animals. Herein, we discuss and compare recently developed alternative in vitro detection methods and assess their ability to supplement or replace the mouse bioassay in the analysis of complex matrix samples.
Keywords: botulinum neurotoxin; detection; endopeptidase; botulism; mouse lethality assay; ELISA; lateral flow test; mass spectrometry; FRET; immuno-PCR

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Čapek, P.; Dickerson, T.J. Sensing the Deadliest Toxin: Technologies for Botulinum Neurotoxin Detection. Toxins 2010, 2, 24-53.

AMA Style

Čapek P, Dickerson TJ. Sensing the Deadliest Toxin: Technologies for Botulinum Neurotoxin Detection. Toxins. 2010; 2(1):24-53.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Čapek, Petr; Dickerson, Tobin J. 2010. "Sensing the Deadliest Toxin: Technologies for Botulinum Neurotoxin Detection." Toxins 2, no. 1: 24-53.

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