Sensors, Vol. 20, Pages 1953: A Syringe-Based Biosensor to Rapidly Detect Low Levels of Escherichia Coli (ECOR13) in Drinking Water Using Engineered Bacteriophages

Sensors, Vol. 20, Pages 1953: A Syringe-Based Biosensor to Rapidly Detect Low Levels of Escherichia Coli (ECOR13) in Drinking Water Using Engineered Bacteriophages Sensors doi: 10.3390/s20071953 Authors: Troy C. Hinkley Spencer Garing Paras Jain John Williford Anne-Laure M. Le Ny Kevin P. Nichols Joseph E. Peters Joey N. Talbert Sam R. Nugen A sanitized drinking water supply is an unconditional requirement for public health and the overall prosperity of humanity. Potential microbial and chemical contaminants of drinking water have been identified by a joint effort between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who together establish guidelines that define, in part, that the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in drinking water is an indication of inadequate sanitation and a significant health risk. As E. coli is a nearly ubiquitous resident of mammalian gastrointestinal tracts, no detectable counts in 100 mL of drinking water is the standard used worldwide as an indicator of sanitation. The currently accepted EPA method relies on filtration, followed by growth on selective media, and requires 24–48 h from sample to results. In response, we developed a rapid bacteriophage-based detection assay with detection limit capabilities comparable to traditional methods in less than a quarter of the time. We coupled membrane filtration with selective enrichment using genetically engineer...
Source: Sensors - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research