ARI Bug Sniffer
Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute have developed a biosensor that is capable of detecting bacterial presence as few as 10 cells.
About the Sensor
The sensor, called ‘bug sniffer’, is a biosensor composed using synthetic peptides, magnetic nanoparticles, and quantum dots. In addition, a chip made of microchannels of copper wire and poly-dimethylsiloxane has also been developed. The scientists are now working to enable simultaneous separation and detection of E.coli and Salmonella typhimurium.
Advantages
- It is portable
- It will enable detection of water and food borne bacterial pathogens.
- It can detect bacteria in just 30 minutes- time effective.
- As few as 10 bacteria can be detected.
- Materials required for its manufacture are easily available.
- The biosensor is cost-effective.
Lab-on-a-Chip
The ‘bug sniffer’ was developed by scientists in line with the goal of developing lab-on-a-chip devices for diagnosis. Devices that integrate one or more lab functions onto a single chip/ integrated circuit is called lab-on-a-chip or LOC. These devices will enable quicker analysis, low sample consumption, low manufacturing costs, etc.