Optical System for Rapid Detection of Escherichia coli in Drinking Water

The microbiological quality of drinking water is a concern to consumers, water suppliers, regulators and public health authority alike. Monitoring the microbiological quality of drinking water relies largely on examination of indicator bacteria such as coliforms and Escherichia coli (E.coli). This paper describes the development of an optical system for rapid detection of E.coli based on a specific cellular biomarker. The biomarker consists on a protein chimera with a fluorescent protein in the N-terminal domain and a specific aminoacid sequence in the C-terminal domain that targets specifically the structure of the microorganism to be detected. The measurement system is based on a photomultiplier tube that captures and measure the bioluminescence signal produced by the biomarker. The developed system is easy handling so it can be used by anyone without specific knowledge.