Simple E. coli test gets first prize in MIT competition

Oasis won the Grand prize among some 60 applications submitted to the fourth annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Water Innovation Prize competition for its simple, inexpensive test for detecting E. coli. The test uses the development of color in a liquid media to determine if and how contaminated the water is. The assay showed 98% specificity when compared to the standard filtration method, with a limit of detection of 1 colony/100 ml of water. The self-contained disposable retails for $2.99. “The kit includes two plastic bags (one large and one small), that are pre-loaded with a specialized E. coli powdered media. Users fill the tube (large volume) and its cap (small volume) with drinking water and then pour the water in the respective bags. The bags turn orange when dissolved in the water sample,” Explains Bir Oasis founder. “Results are interpreted by the color of the bags after 48 hours if they are kept at ambient temperature, or 24 hours if incubated at 37 degrees Celsius,” Bir notes. “We’ve given it to children in India, where there’s no access to education, and, just by following the instructions, they’ve been able to perform the test.” @ https://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/color-test-for-e-coli-captures-coveted-grand-prize/?elq_mid=27845&elq_cid=10195538 More information can be found @ https://www.oasiswatertest.com/