Single-molecule detection of proteins and toxins in food using atomic force microscopy

Food safety is vital in everyday life. Food toxins are small peptides or proteins that can cause disease by disrupting biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins are introduced either externally or from internal, spoilage-related pathogens. To keep these unsafe foods off the market, detection techniques for various toxins have been devised. Although many techniques serve this purpose well, challenges remain regarding...