A new method to spot E. coli bacteria as in photograph is possible now. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have developed a system to identify E. coli with the help of camera and silicon chip.
They use changes in reflectivity to see proteins and bacteria on the silicon chip. If E. coli stuck to the chip, the laser light becomes visible to the digital camera. The trick is to get E. coli, and not other bacteria, to adhere to the chip’s surface.
The silicon chip is coated with an E. coli protein, Translocated Intimin Receptor or TIR. It detects E. coli bacteria only. The light reflection from the chip is captured on the prototype’s digital camera. A explode on the camera’s screen means E. coli hang about.
The technology can also be made to detect other kinds of bacteria. Glazing the chip with different proteins would allow it to capture other bacteria. And glazing it with a mixture of proteins will in theory may detect many types of bacteria in a single sweep.
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