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Scientists develop a novel sensor to detect cyanide in living cells

Read time: 1 min1 Jul 2017

Cyanide is any chemical compound that contains a carbon atom triple bonded to a nitrogen atom, called a cyano group. Some of the cyanide compounds are known to be extremely toxic with the ability to cause death within minutes. In a recent study, scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, North Maharashtra University and SV National Institute of Technology have developed a novel sensor that can detect the tiniest amounts of cyanide. Using a combination of diaminomaleonitrile (DMN) and benzothiazole, the team was able to develop a fluorescent receptor that could detect levels of cyanide much below the permissible limit. The detection ability was further successfully tested in live mouse fibroblast cells. The receptor is simple to operate and easy to produce on a large scale, making it ideal for widespread applications.