Scientists in Canada have developed a low-cost, portable, paper-based device for detecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could be used in the field in remote areas to characterise infectious diseases and assess food and water quality.
The scientists used a paper support to hold wax-patterned paper culture media, covered by a clear plastic window. To test their device, they placed two ‘zones’ of antibiotics on to the media then added a blue dye and a bacteria sample, E. coli, on top of the dye.
After sealing and incubating the device overnight, the researchers observed, through the plastic window, that areas that had no bacterial growth remained blue and areas where the bacteria had successfully grown had turned pink. The size of the blue areas around the antibiotic zones indicates the susceptibility of the bacteria to antibiotic treatment. A system of a pattern of uniform hydrophobic spots across the media allows this blue area to be measured to quantify this antibiotic susceptibility.
The team also showed that the paper device could be easily stored over a long period of time. After assembling to the point that it contained the culture media and antibiotics, it could be left for up to 70 days in a sealed bag. The long-term storage, ease of use and cheap components required to make the device make it very promising for in-field use.
Carbyne – an unusual form of carbon
Which photophysical properties does carbyne have? This was the subject of research carried out by scientists at FAU, the University of Alberta, Canada, and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, which has led to a greater understanding of the properties of this unusual ... more
The Secret Contamination of Polar Bears
Using a new approach to measure chemical contaminants in polar bears, scientists from Canada and the United States found a large variety of new chlorinated and fluorinated substances, including many new polychlorinated biphenyl metabolites. Worryingly, these previously unrecognized contamin ... more
Next generation of neuroscience tools
UAlberta chemistry professor Robert Campbell is developing new ways to see and manipulate the activity of neurons in the brain, which could revolutionize the way we understand the organ that controls most of the activities of the body. "We want to help other researchers apply these new neur ... more
Therapeutic screening for Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists in Canada and the United States have developed a chip sensor for monitoring how drug candidates alter amyloid-β peptide aggregation that they hope could be used to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Research into Alzheimer’s disease has shown that the self-aggregation o ... more
Scientists in the UK have developed a new class of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) agents that promise to deliver clearer images more quickly. Chemical shifts from proton NMR normally fall between 0-12ppm, but water and fat resonate at 4.7 and 1.3ppm respectively, causing noise that can ov ... more
High-throughput drug screening in 3D
Scientists in China have developed a simple microchip that enables quick and inexpensive high-throughput screening of potential drug candidates in 3D cell cultures. Scientists often use cell-based high-throughput screening in the first stage of drug design as a technique to quickly identify ... more
