title: Fluorescence-based method and a device for rapid detection of microbial contamination.
abstract: A method for rapid detection of microbial detection is presented. It uses the reduction of resazurin to resorufin as an indication of the presence of viable cells. The method is highly sensitive (limit of detection 1 CFU/mL) and rapid (detection time 180 s). A portable device that could allow the detection to be performed in the field is also described.
  Simple techniques to detect microbial contamination are needed. In particular, these need to be user-friendly and low-cost. In addition, field use capability is desirable. In this paper, we describe a device and method that has the above features.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Chandrasekhar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gurramkonda
authors.forename: Karunasri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mupparapu
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abouzeid
authors.forename: Yordan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kostov
authors.forename: Govind
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004867:Equipment Design; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D050296:Microbial Viability; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010078:Oxazines / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010078:Oxazines; D014966:Xanthenes; C005843:resazurin; C014180:resorufin
keywords: Fluorescence; Microbial contamination; Portable fluorometer; Rapid detection; Resazurin