Tiny 'lab-on-a-chip' detects pollutants, disease and biologic...( For centuries animals have been our ...)

For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism.

Until now. Working in the miniaturized world of nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University researchers have made an enormous -- and humane -- leap forward in the detection of pollutants.

A team led by Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, vice-dean of TAU's Faculty of Engineering, has developed a nano-sized laboratory, complete with a microscopic workbench, to measure water quality in real time. Their "lab on a chip" is a breakthrough in the effort to keep water safe from pollution and bioterrorist threats, pairing biology with the cutting-edge capabilities of nanotechnology.

"We've developed a platform essentially a micro-sized, quarter-inch square 'lab' employing genetically engineered bacteria that light up when presented with a stressor in water," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. Equipment on the little chip can work to help detect very tiny light levels produced by the bacteria.

Instead of using animals to help detect threats to a water supply, Prof. Shacham-Diamand says "Our system is based on a plastic chip that is more humane, much faster, more sensitive and much cheaper."

Tiny Lab-on-Chip Boosts Accuracy

"Basically, ours is an innovative advance in the 'lab on a chip' system," says Prof. Shacham-Diamand. "It's an ingenious nano-scale platform designed to get information out of biological events. Our solution can monitor water with never-before-achieved levels of accuracy. But as a platform, it can also be used for unlimited purposes, such as investigating stem cell therapies or treating cancer."

According to published literature, Tel Aviv University is one of the top five universities in the world
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