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Updated: May 20, 2026
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Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
Published on: January 15, 2013
Hydrological tracers using nanobiotechnology: proof of concept
Asha N Sharma1, Dan Luo, M Todd Walter
1Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Riley Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|July 27, 2012
Summary
A novel engineered tracer system using DNA-labeled microspheres enables simultaneous tracking of multiple hydrological flowpaths. This technology offers a virtually limitless, sensitive, and cost-effective method for environmental tracer studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Hydrology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Differentiating complex hydrological flowpaths requires tracers with identical transport properties.
- Existing tracer methods often lack the capacity for simultaneous, high-resolution tracking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a novel engineered tracer system for distinguishing multiple hydrological flowpaths.
- To create a tracer with unique, identifiable tags and facilitated recovery.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of synthetic DNA strands as unique identifiers within polylactic acid (PLA) microspheres.
- Integration of paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic concentration of tracers.
- Proof-of-concept experiments conducted across various scales (10 cm to 100 m).
Main Results:
- Successful development of engineered microspheres containing both DNA tags and magnetic nanoparticles.
- Demonstrated feasibility of distinguishing individual tracers in controlled experiments.
- Validation of magnetic concentration technique for recovering tracers from samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed engineered tracer system offers a powerful tool for hydrological research.
- The system provides a virtually limitless number of distinguishable tracers with high sensitivity.
- This approach presents a cost-effective solution for complex environmental flowpath analysis.
