18 May Simple Test Kit Can Detect E. Coli In Contaminated Water Samples
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Sushanta Mitra
Sushanta K. Mitra, PhD, PEng
Associate Vice-President Research
Kaneff Professor in Micro & Nanotechnology for Social Innovation
FCSME, FASME, FEIC, FRSC, FCAE, FAAAS Y
York University Toronto
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Mitra: As a mechanical engineer I got interested in the water problem when I had discussions with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India and the tertiary public health centre doctors near Mumbai, where the doctors had to deal with large number of patients with water-borne diseases. This was hugely a challenge from resource point of view as the doctors would much preferred to have their attention focused on more pressing diseases. They approached me about developing tools for rapid detection of water-borne pathogen in drinking water. Hence, my journey started on water quality monitoring.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Mitra: Here, we have developed a low-cost compact E. coli and total coliform detection system, which uses commercially available plunger-tube assembly. We incorporate a hydrogel (porous matrix) inside the tube so that the plunger-tube assembly act as a concentrator and a detector at the same time. Specially formulated enzymatic substrates are caged inside the hydrogel so that an E. coli cell trapped within the hydrogel will be lysed and react with the enzymatic substrates to produce a red color.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Dr. Mitra: Typically water testing would require sending water sample to a microbiology lab where they will do plate-count etc. and it takes more than a day to
get back results. This becomes even more challenging when there is no easy way to send samples like communities in Canada’s North, remote rural communities, limited-resource settings, etc.
Our test kit is able to perform E. coli detection test right at the point-of-use, without the need of any trained person. This is indeed a paradigm shift in water quality monitoring.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Mitra: Further studies in the area of hydrogel stability, long shelf life of the tool kit etc. would be highly valuable.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dr. Mitra: The goal here is to develop technology for the masses through frugal innovation, which could have a big impact for public health.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
Naga Siva Kumar Gunda, Ravi Chavali, Sushanta K. Mitra. A hydrogel based rapid test method for detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in contaminated water samples.The Analyst, 2016; 141 (10): 2920 DOI:10.1039/C6AN00400H
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Last Updated on May 18, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD