This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and optimize a novel, portable and easy-to-use nanotech-enabled device for rapid water microbial contamination detection. Unlike current methods which require at least 24 hours to obtain a result, this nanofluidics device will be able to produce a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnostic test for E. coli, other microbe contamination in a real-time, point-of-use fashion. The broader/commercial impacts of this research is to enable real-time, rapid and accurate water quality monitoring, much better than what current techniques can offer. This platform technology has several other applications for food safety and medical diagnostics that will have a significant impact on public health and safety, eliminating costly delays, expensive infrastructure and user training
