Team:NYU Abu Dhabi
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The most common type of bacterial infection stems from contact with Escherichia coli, which when ingested can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from nausea to diarrhea. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STECs) are responsible for the majority of foodborne E. coli infections because the shiga toxin produced inhibits protein synthesis in all cells. While most countries now have stringent food safety regulations in place to prevent the sale of contaminated foods, small scale manufacturers, particularly street food vendors, often do not have access, time or pressure to consult laboratories about the safety of their food. Therefore, STEC-illnesses are still a major problem in countries that revolve around street food.
Our project aims to produce a portable device that allows for the detection of STEC through the use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a technique that is similar to, but more sensitive than, polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The end goal of our project is to provide food vendors an opportunity to easily and quickly detect for the presence of STEC in their products to ensure that they are complying with government standards efficiently and conveniently. The results of each test will be uploaded into a database that provides consumers with the date, location and result of each STEC test. This will ensure that both vendor and consumer are safe, leading to a decreased incidence of foodborne E.coli infections.
