Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique was used to directly detect an intact form of insect pathogen: the baculovirus, Autographa califonica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). An SPR sensor chip with three bio-functional layers was used to detect the intact AcMNPV: amine-reactive crosslinker with a disulfide bond that chemisorbs to gold film, Protein A, and a mouse IgG monoclonal antibody raised against a surface protein of the target viral pathogen. A two-channel (reference & test) micro-fluidic SPR system is used for reliable measurement. Bio-specific response to the AcMNPV is compared with the response for tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as control. Successive exposure of the sensor chip to both viruses verifies a specific response to AcMNPV. This serves as a prerequisite to the development of a new type of viral pathogen detection sensors. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.