Cholera (Vibrio cholerae) is a bacterium that causes intestinal infections in humans.  While it is rare in industrialized nations, cholera remains a major threat in developing nations; with an estimated 3-5 million cases resulting in over 100,000 deaths annually.  A simple test kit has been developed to determine the presence of cholera contamination in drinking water.  Inserting a plasmid coding for Beta-Galactosidase (�-Gal) enzyme induced by an arabinose promoter (araBAD) into E.coli creates a biological specimen that will produce the �-Gal in the presence of arabinose.  When the modified E.coli specimen is mixed with cholera the �-Gal is released into solution where it reacts with X-gal, also in the solution, producing a blue-violet color.  If no cholera is present, the solution remains clear.  Our technique produces visible results in the order of minutes, rather than the typical days it currently takes for similar techniques.

Visual detection of cholera via modified E. coli

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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