Chemical Communications Blog

Millions of people die each year from bacterial infections. Scientists have been searching for a low-cost way to quickly identify bacteria so disease can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. 

Eric Kool and colleagues at Stanford University, USA, have developed fluorescent DNA chemosensors which they claim can sense and distinguish bacteria by the volatile metabolites they release. They tested the sensor on bacteria responsible for tuberculosis, food poisoning, pneumonia and sepsis and showed that it could accurately differentiate the bacterial strains. 

The chemosensors could be developed into quick, cheap and reliable reporters for early identification of bacteria in both patient samples and contaminated food, say the authors.

Want to find out more? Download Kool’s ChemComm communication to read more about how the chemosensors work. You might also be interested in the group’s recent Chemical Science Edge article, where they use fluorescent DNA to sense toxic gases.