Lassonde researchers develop invention for safer drinking water

Lassonde’s Sushanta Mitra and his team have developed a revolutionary new system that detects E.coli in the water much faster than any previous models. The new device can let a consumer know within hours rather than days if the deadly pollutant is detected. The team developed a hydrogel that reacts and changes colour if E. coli is present.

The system is user-friendly and can be used by someone with very little training, a boon for developing countries where infrastructure is lacking.

“We have developed a hydrogel-based rapid E. coli detection system that will turn red when E. coli is present,” says Professor Sushanta Mitra. “It will detect the bacteria right at the water source before people start drinking contaminated water.”

Traditional methods often required extensive water-gathering methods and long wait times.

The breakthrough invention is the work of Glacierclean Technologies Inc, an Innovation York spinoff company.

Professor Mitra is quoted in Business Standard regarding the invention.