Pathogen testing in hand

Michigan State University researchers are developing a hand-held device that could make testing for deadly food, air and water pathogens easier and cheaper.

Syed Hashsham, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Centre for Microbial Ecology, is developing a portable device capable of detecting up to 50 microbial threat agents in air, water and food.

‘This device will give us the ability to measure pathogens in a manner and at a price that really matters for human health,’ Hashsham said. ‘If we can screen for all pathogens together, we can minimise the threat significantly.’

Hashsham intends for the portable, hand-held device to be an all-in-one pathogen testing centre where DNA amplification and pathogen identification will happen on the same DNA biochip. A DNA biochip has signature pieces of DNA attached to a silica surface, similar to a computer chip, and is about the size of a thumbnail.