Simple & Rapid Bacterial Detection

Tech ID: 29866 / UC Case 2018-758-0

Brief Description

A strategy for the rapid, inexpensive, and simple detection of a variety of bacterial species.

Background

The detection of bacteria has many applications such as medicine and food safety, to name a few. Current detection methods are limited due to extensive time and equipment requirements making them less than ideal in a number of settings. The ability to accurately and successfully target a species of interest is an especially limiting disadvantage.

Description

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a strategy for the rapid, inexpensive, and simple detection of a variety of bacterial species. This strategy is based on the interaction between bacterial cells and the viruses that infect them, phages. Colorimetric sensing allows for clear detection using a visible spectral shift that is produced around aggregation around cell phage complexes. Thiolation of engineered phages allows binding of gold nanoparticles, which aggregate on the phages, amplifying the interaction and resulting in a visible color change. It can be applied to any bacteria that are targeted from a metagenomic sample. While the standard detection time is four hours, this technology can detect bacteria in a mere twenty minutes, or less. This detection strategy requires minimal lab equipment and minimal training.

Advantages

Advantages

  • Detection in 20 minutes or less
  • Minimal lab equipment & training required
  • Clearly visible colorimetric sensing
  • Inexpensive       

Applications

Applications

  • Can be applied to any bacterial species that are targeted from a metagenomic sample  
  • Medicine
  • Food safety

Patent Status

Country Type Number Dated Case
Patent Cooperation Treaty Published Application WO 2020/131192 06/25/2020 2018-758
 

Additional Patent Pending

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Other Information

Keywords

Bacteria, Detection, indpharma, viruses, phages

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