Sensing the deadliest toxin: technologies for botulinum neurotoxin detection.

• DOI: 10.3390/toxins2020024
• Publication Date: 2010-01-01
• Authors: Petr Čapek; Tobin J. Dickerson
• Keywords: Botulinum neurotoxin; Neurotoxin; Clostridium botulinum; Botulism

Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies medical applications BoNTs poisoned food, as well response potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, common method BoNT mouse bioassay. While this assay sensitive, it slow, quite expensive, has limited throughput requires sacrificing animals. Herein, we discuss compare recently developed alternative in vitro methods assess their ability supplement or replace bioassay analysis complex matrix samples.