Drug detection via fingerprints

Someday soon, your fingerprint may be all that's needed to determine if you're high on drugs:

Paul Yates from Intelligent Fingerprinting, a company spun out from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and colleagues, have developed a handheld device that police can use to detect breakdown products from drugs excreted through sweat pores in the fingertips.
The device applies gold nanoparticles coated with antibodies to a fingerprint. The antibodies stick to antigens on specific metabolites in the fingerprint. Fluorescent dyes attached to the antibodies will highlight the presence of any metabolites. The technique was first used to detect nicotine, but now works on a range of drugs, including cocaine, methadone and cannabis.

[Thanks, Smonkey!]

» more at: www.newscientist.com

Posted By Scotto at 2011-07-25 21:23:44 permalink | comments

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Chris. : 2011-08-16 01:39:55

@ Pangolin: No, this doesn't detect for the drug it's self, but for compounds that your body produces once you have metabolised it.

cavenug. : 2011-07-28 10:02:01

this is prolly way expensive but i know for a fact it is evil. unadulterated evil. and it kinda reminds me of red-light cameras ya know? getting you in trouble after the fact

wystri. : 2011-07-26 18:07:25

1-i have to wonder how accurate this truly is?
2-Paul Yates, you're a wanker!

this scenario just happened in my mind:

scientist #1: hmm, what's a good thing to put our energy into next? well, we could try to cure cancer or AIDS i suppose...

scientist #2: nah, there's no real money in that. why do you think they have so many charities? the big government money is in stuff like military technology and drug testing....wait, hey - i've got an idea!

guest : 2011-07-26 17:37:25

No worries, I am a scientist and use stuff like this. It is extremely expensive, and with our countries debt issues, there is no way this would get funding in the foreseeable future.

Pangolin. : 2011-07-26 16:50:41

Fail, there is provably drug residue on virtually all paper currency.

1984. : 2011-07-26 11:03:04

welcome to 1984!

Alex. : 2011-07-26 08:25:17

I wonder if this can be defeated by using an alcohol swab on your fingers.

Crawford Tillinghast. : 2011-07-26 08:01:18

Especially if you look at 'em and they appear to be melting.

guest : 2011-07-26 06:51:32

fuck that, not cool science.

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