Rapid testing for selected microbes in water samples

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Routine water sampling is required in municipal, commercial and industrial systems to ensure that the water quality is not compromised by potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli or coliforms. Standard methods for sampling and analysis have a time delay of 2 to 7 days for results to be received, making it difficult to quickly intervene when problems arise. This project will build on previous work that led to the development of a rapid water test that could detect bacteria within a few minutes. This test has been commercialized and is a useful monitoring tool, but it tests for total bacteria and not any specific pathogens that are of interest in some fields. Therefore, this project will extend this development work to formulate a test strategy that can be used for specific bacteria, starting with E. coli. The goal will be to develop a relatively rapid test, that can give results within a few hours, such that it can be used for routine monitoring and troubleshooting purposes while the standard tests remain in place for regulatory and confirmation purposes. This collaborative project will provide the fundamental scientific and engineering basis for a commercial test development to proceed. Test development for other pathogenic bacteria will be pursued as opportunities are identified.