Development of an immunoassay for the detection of glyphosate in water

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Project Period: 
1990
Project Investigator(s): 
GM Breuer, SL Berberich, University Hygienic Laboratory; The University of Iowa
Abstract: 

The aim of this study was to develop a monoclonal antibody specific for the common herbicide glyphosate (trade name: Roundup), and develop an immunoassay system for the rapid detection of glyphosate in water samples. Immunoassays would dramatically reduce the costs of water sampling for glyphosate as compared to current analytical methods. The glyphosate molecule is quite small, and has only three chemically distinct sites. Because of these few small sites available for attachment, problems have been encountered by other researchers in developing a immunoassay system for glyphosate. The CHEEC researchers, too, encountered similar difficulties and were unsuccessful in their attempts at developing an immunoassy for glyphosate. Researchers on this project theorized devising a scheme for creating an attachment site internal to the glyphosate molecule, thus presenting the molecule in its native form. Researchers determined this was possible, but this synthesis and process was beyond the scope and resources of this seed grant.