A major concern for municipal and commercial water treatment facilities is detecting pathogenic microorganisms and heavy metals. This new method facilitates detection of a variety of contaminants by using glycoprotein micelles and vesicles (small balloon-like spheres coated with sugars that bind to pathogens and biotoxins). Glycoprotein-coated micelles or "glycelles" can, in turn, be coated with glycoproteins that bind to heavy metals, or to sugars on the surfaces of virus particles and bacterial spores. Glycelles coated with enzymes can catalyze chemical reactions that facilitate the decontamination of municipal water.
Patent Number: 8,785,134
Date Issued: July 22 2014