Mutant Bacteria Will Test You for Disease and Color Your Pee Accordingly
27th May 2015
In the first study, researchers manipulated E. coli’s genes to make the bacteria reliably detect high glucose levels in urine–an indicator of diabetes. Once the glucose levels reach a certain threshold, the bacteria turn red. When the researchers tested these “bactosensors” in samples from 13 patients, the bacteria indicated problematically high glucose levels just as reliably as conventional urine dipsticks. The researchers hope that this same sort of bacterial genetic manipulation could help detect other diseases.
Progress! You can’t stop it.