A team from NYU Abu Dhabi has received the university’s first gold medal at the Giant Jamboree in Boston, USA, for its project E.coLAMP. This portable device is capable of amplifying a genetic marker of the Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli in just 20 minutes.
The university’s engineering team designed and printed a robust 3D-printed case, which houses the electrical components and the silicone chip for the biological reactions. The intended usage of the device provides a simple procedure for the end user. A food sample is swabbed and added to a solution, and the solution is transferred into the silicone chip. The chip can then be placed on the heating base of the device, and the reaction can be easily visualised after 20 minutes.
The team was successful in developing a proof-of-concept, which cut down the cost of each reaction to only $4 (Dh14) resulting in a cost-effective solution to rampant food contamination in various parts of the world.
