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A new type of electronic sensor that might be used to quickly detect and classify bacteria for medical diagnostics and food safety has passed a key hurdle by distinguishing between dead and living bacteria cells. Conventional laboratory technologies require that samples be cultured for hours or longer to grow enough of the bacteria for identification and analysis, for example, to determine which antibiotic to prescribe.
The new approach might be used to create arrays of hundreds of sensors on an electronic chip, with each sensor detecting a specific type of bacteria or pinpointing the effectiveness of particular antibiotics within minutes.Image credit: Purdue University photo/Aida Ebrahimi
