Family-selective detection of antibiotics using antibody-functionalized carbon nanotube sensors

The development of a rapid and sensitive detection method for well-known, yet abused, antibiotics has been an important issue for food safety and environmental protection. This paper presents a simple and sensitive method for the specific or family-selective detection of antibiotics using carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors. Herein, CNT-based sensor transducers were functionalized with the single-chain variable-fragment (scFv) of antibodies that can selectively bind to a specific antibiotic or the certain family of antibiotics. Our CNT-based sensors functionalized with A2 scFv or F9 scFv exhibited the specific detection of enrofloxacin or the family-selective detection of fluoroquinolone-based antibiotics, respectively, in a real-time manner. This simple but efficient strategy can be utilized for various applications in the fields of food safety and environmental protection.