ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how bio-nanoparticle probes can be applied to overcome the limitations of standard techniques for virus detection. Quantum confinement is a nanoscale phenomenon that refers to the change in the electronic and optical properties of nanoparticles due to the spatial localization of electrons and holes to dimensions that approach the so-called exciton Bohr radius. Superparamagnetism is a nanoscale phenomenon that describes the state of single-domain particles of magnetic materials. The concept of applying nanoparticles in virus sensing was first introduced in the late 1990s for human papillomavirus using gold nanoparticles. Two classes of metal nanoparticles have been demonstrated in biosensing applications: noble metal nanoparticles and transition metal nanoparticles. The applications of bio-nanoparticle systems in virus detection have expanded to encompass most of the clinically relevant groups of human viruses. Nanoparticles have proven to be powerful sensing tools with major advantages over the techniques used for virus testing and control.
