In a project supported by the Newton Fund in collaboration with Dr Kevin Land’s team at CSIR in Pretoria (South Africa), we have developed an IFAST device for fast analysis of E.coli in waste water samples. Combining the specificity of immunomagnetic separation and the sensitivity of the subsequent adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay with bioluminescence, we were able to detecting E. coli O157:H7 from just 6 colony forming units (CFU) in 1 mL spiked buffer within 20 min using a portable, field-deployable device.
Recently, we have started work on the Sullied Sediments project which co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg VB North Sea Region Programme and is being delivered by partners based in UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. As part of this project we are developing and testing paper based analytical devices to be used by volunteers to better assess, treat and prevent contamination from certain pollutants that can be found in the sediments in our waterways.
Selected references
- B. Ngamsom, A. Truyts, L. Fourie, S. Kumar, M.D. Tarn, A. Iles, K. Moodley, K.J. Land, N. Pamme, A Microfluidic Device for Rapid Screening of E. coli O157:H7 Based on IFAST and ATP Bioluminescence Assay for Water Analysis, Chemistry – A European Journal, 2017, doi: 10.1002/chem.201703487
Nicole Pamme - Research Group 