# Turning smartphones into biosensors



## TheDustyZebra (Jun 9, 2013)

Interesting article in an offbeat localish paper -- note that this link will only take you directly to the article until next month's issue comes out, so after the end of June 2013 you will need to go to the archives on this page and find the 2013 June #4-5 publication.

It has a link to the research paper at the bottom, but it appears that you have to have an account at that location to see the whole thing.

It's about how researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a smartphone cradle and app to turn a phone into a biosensor for detecting toxins, proteins, bacteria, viruses, etc.  It can be used for medical diagnostics, tracking pathogens or groundwater contamination, DNA, and many other things. Fascinating!

http://www.westernslopenews.com


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## J Riff (Jun 29, 2013)

I absolutely detest smartfones... but this could be useful  I guess.. for paranoid maniacs. 
 I can see it now. You whip out the phone and detect trace particles of whatever... some gas or bit of metal, and run away from work to see your lawyer and start procedings against yer employer. Cool.
 We tear apart everything there is, tech-wise, every day. I don't want to know. Safety glasses, gloves, gas mask, telephone gadget detector, let's get to work. (Coffff... .wheeeeEz... )


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