A Direct, Dip and Sense Probe for the Ultra-Trace Level Detection of Ochratoxin-A (OTA).

Investigated a prototypical approach to develop a direct, dip and sense probe for the ultra-trace level detection of Ochratoxin-A (OTA). An effective strategy for detecting ultra-low concentrations of small molecules has been developed utilizing zeolitic imidazole framework -8 (ZIF-8), which encapsulate antibodies, over gold nanoparticles on a U-bent optical fiber tip. The study demonstrated OTA detection in spiked grape juice to support food safety, for which a patent has been filed and a manuscript is underway. Another work on heavy metal ion detection from environmental samples using MOF was also carried out, and the manuscript has been submitted to the ACS journal.