Chemists at the Polytechnic University of Valencia have found a new use for Blu-ray discs and players: to detect microorganisms and toxins!
Using a standard commercial Blu-ray disc, and the laser from the Blu-ray player, the scientist can identify the type of bacteria present in the samples dropped onto the disc's surface, and also determine their concentration.
138,000 tiny points, each one just 125 µm, can be imprinted onto a typical Blu-ray disc for examination.
The study was published recently in the Biosensors and Bioelectronics journal and aims to provide an alternative to standard laboratory testing equipment, and one that is much more economically viable as well.
Astonishingly, this new Blu-ray technique is as accurate as the conventional quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.
"This type of test can also be used to detect tumoral biomarkers, food and drug allergens, and pesticides in water, for example," noted the researchers.
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