Researchers Develop Rapid Paper Test Strips for Bacteria in Swimming Water
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Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network funded researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., Canada, have developed a rapid testing method using a simple paper strip that can detect E. coli in recreational water within minutes, according to a report this week by TKX Inc. The new tool reportedly can close the gap between outbreak and detection, improving public safety globally.
Scientists have created and validated the viability of the test strip, which can detect potentially harmful concentrations of E. coli in water quickly and simply, with much greater accuracy than existing portable technology, TKX reports. The work is described in a paper published online in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funds Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network, a strategic research network that spans Canada and is based at McMaster University. Several dozen researchers are involved in its initiatives to detect, repel, and deactivate air, water, or food-borne pathogens to improve human health and safety.
The new strips are coated with chemicals that react to the bacteria, and are printed using inkjet technology similar to that found in standard desktop printers. Within 30 min. of sampling, the paper changes color to indicate the presence of E. coli, with colors coded to represent different forms and concentrations of the bacteria.
Field testing of the prototype strips is planned or under way in Canada and across the globe, in regions where untreated water poses particular health hazards. The results of these studies will help to refine the test strips and may lead to strips that are sensitive enough to tell whether water is safe enough to drink.
The next stage of pre-commercial development of the test strips is already funded by NSERC through a Phase I Idea to Innovation grant. Commercialization of a final product could take as little as two to three years.
More information is available online.
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