Schistosoma worms (the thinner female worm is tucked inside the larger male)
Scientists from Imperial have created a new test that could instantly detect the presence of the parasite schistosoma in a water supply. The test uses a similar technology to a pregnancy test, and changes colour when the parasite is detected. Details of the technology, which uses genetically modified versions of bacterial cells to detect the parasite, have just been published in the journal Scientific Reports. This test originated as an undergraduate project for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition by Imperial College students. The work was then continued by members of the synthetic biology group of Professor Paul Freemont in the Department of Medicine. Although the researchers caution the work is at an early stage, they hope it could provide a cheap easy test for remote areas with limited resources. The team used bacterial cells in the test as they can be freeze-dried and, in theory, transported around the world.
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