i-Teams

Commercialising Creativity

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About
    • i-Teams at Cambridge
    • i-Teams outside of Cambridge
    • Information for researchers
    • Information for students
    • Resources for i-Teams students
    • Feedback
  • Impact
    • i-Teams statistics 2016
    • From Project to Start-Up
  • Projects
    • 2017 – 2018
    • 2016 – 2017
    • 2015 – 2016
    • 2014 – 2015
    • 2013 – 2014
    • 2012 – 2013
    • 2011 – 2012
    • 2010 – 2011
    • 2009 – 2010
    • 2008 – 2009
    • 2007 – 2008
    • 2006 – 2007
    • i-Teams London
  • People
    • Speakers
      • Past Speakers
    • Mentors
    • Steering Group
    • Sponsors
  • News
  • How to apply
  • Contact
  • April 25, 2018
You are here: Home / Projects / 2009 - 2010 / Non-labelled and selective detection of bacteria at the point-of-care

Non-labelled and selective detection of bacteria at the point-of-care

Contacts: Sourav Ghosh, Engineering & Dr Viktor Ostanin, Chemistry
Mentor: Marc Bax

Rapid detection of pathogenic micro-organisms is getting increasingly important in clinical, bio-defence, food processing and environmental applications. However, the conventional biochemical techniques, such as ELISA and PCR, are time-consuming and expensive, and are dependent on complex sample preparation which requires skilled personnel. The problems are particularly high for detection of spore forming bacteria, such as the Bacillus anthracis (the causative agent for anthrax), where it is absolutely necessary to do a rapid diagnosis.

A collaboration between Engineering and Chemistry has developed a novel sensing technique, which enables rapid and direct detection of bacteria using an all-electronic device. This technique does not need any labels or amplification and is highly selective, capable of differentiating between target species and non-targets. The sensitivity capabilities are comparable with the existing biochemical diagnostics and are orders of magnitude better than alternative all-electronic detection techniques. This new method allows detection both in air and liquid and is highly suitable for being implemented in a point-of-care diagnostic device at low cost.

Previous efforts to develop non-biochemical methods have so far had issues of low sensitivity and poor selectivity, so have not achieved commercial success. This creates a good opportunity for the new “Anharmonic Immunosensing” technique. The novel technique is effective in rapid and direct detection of bacteria with high sensitivity and selectivity without involvement of any labels or intermediate steps, and has the potential to be extended to detect other organisms that may be of interest.

The i-Team’s challenge is to identify real-world applications for the device that would have the best chances of commercial viability.

Filed Under: 2009 - 2010, Easter 2010 - taster, Projects

Projects (by academic year)

  • From Project to Start-Up
  • 2017 – 2018
  • 2016 – 2017
  • 2015 – 2016
  • 2014 – 2015
  • 2013 – 2014
  • 2012 – 2013
  • 2011 – 2012
  • 2010 – 2011
  • 2009 – 2010
  • 2008 – 2009
  • 2007 – 2008
  • 2006 – 2007
  • i-Teams London

Subscribe to our newsletter

See the archive of old newsletters here

Latest i-Teams Tweets

  • i-Teams newsletter April 2018 - details of our next course, #iteams wins 3rd innovative youth incubator award, Scie… https://t.co/msAlJD5Lv5 Yesterday at 5:16 pm
  • Congratulations to Sphere Fluidics (#iteams 2008) for being one of Red Herring's Top 100 companies of 2018!!!!! https://t.co/DWlziCknWP Yesterday at 11:57 am
  • Apply for Development #iteams by May 1st and help the British Antarctic Survey use polar science to help the develo… https://t.co/dMWI5qrDMZ April 18, 2018 7:50 pm
  • #iteams in the news! https://t.co/icW4S62id3 April 18, 2018 7:47 pm
  • Come to our #iteams end of term presentations March 22nd at 6.30pm for 7pm at the IfM https://t.co/2gyMZAnD5f March 19, 2018 11:38 am
  • Follow Camiteams
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
IFM
Cutec
Cambridge University Entrepreneurs
cge-logo-website
University of Cambridge

© Copyright 2013 i-Teams Cambridge | Site by Very Simple Sites

This site uses cookies: Find out more.