We are developing diagnostic equipment by harnessing the power of liquid crystal technology. Our technology offers the opportunity for rapid, selective, and easy to use solutions for determining the presence of unwanted microbes and/or indicators due to the unique alignment and optical qualities of liquid crystal. These qualities can be harnessed to specifically and rapidly detect microbes by creating disruption in a liquid crystal matrix aligned in a cell. This disruption is analogous to the creation of pixels that can be read in real-time.
This technology offers solutions to problems that plague many current testing techniques such as:
- Low sensitivities that require large concentrated sample volumes
- High false positive rates
- Prolonged preparation/assay times, the inability to simultaneously test for multiple pathogen species (multiplexing)
- High cost
- The need for highly trained technician/operators. Our platform is rapid (< 1 hour), accurate, multiplex, and requires little user training. We are currently developing microbial detection solutions for many areas that include water quality, clinical, food, defense, and environmental applications.
