Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K have developed a gel that will glow under ultraviolet light. How does it work? The article says when the gel comes in contact with a bacteria such as E Coli, it attaches to it which changes the shape of the bacteria. This allows it to glow under the ultraviolet light. You're probably wondering why this is important, but the time savings of being able to detect such things quickly as opposed to sending it to the lab and waiting for results is certainly beneficial.
This is an emerging technology that should be explored but what comes to mind are the side effects. Will this gel do any harm to me in the long run? Sure it will detect the bacteria faster, but will it cause any issues such as accelerating the time it takes to spread to other areas of the body? I can see this being used in detecting viruses or could it just become a gel or spray that could do at home detection? Could this be used to see the amount of bacteria on produce before it is sent to stores for mass consumption? Would it be able to be used on furniture or machinery to detect bacteria before it spreads further? Maybe this would become a safety requirement?
In addition, what areas would it brush off into... it may become a safety requirement or standard in workplaces or by the CDC. If it is detected, what would consumers do? Would a whole line of cleaners or wipes be created to remove the bacteria? Or would a company need to come in and remove? This is a very interesting idea but I believe there are still a number of questions that need to be answered before consumers will trust using such a gel although the benefits could be life saving!
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