After the last year I think we can all use some good news; this is a potential win for families and maintaining healthy, happy lives. So we were interested to hear that the results of over 20 years of research by the Colorado State University has now reached the stage of being licensed to an emerging US med-tech & biotech American company - Edoceo Devices - who are finishing development of a ground-breaking rapid testing system for harmful bacteria - see here for more details.
How big is the problem?
Despite American food-chains being one of the safest in the world, the current situation for food related problems in North America is a growing cause for concern - especially the systematic use of antibiotics to prevent infections in animals and fish destined for our plates. Overuse of antibiotics in medical situations is also of growing concern as it is forcing the development of so called Superbugs!
For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Food poisoning makes roughly 48 million Americans sick each year. Of those, 128,000 become sick enough to need hospitalization. And of those, 3,000 people die.
In addition, food-borne pathogens take a toll on the economy, with experts calculating that superbugs could cost a cumulative $100 trillion of economic output by 2050.
According to The Harvard Business Review, foodborne illnesses cost America $55 billion a year in medical treatment, lost productivity, and lost wages, not to mention litigation expenses.
The latest CDC estimates are that more than 2.8 million people in the U.S. get sick each year from superbugs, and these infections are the primary cause of death for 35,000 of them.
This number doesn’t even include those infected by MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that is resistant to several antibiotics and which is a dangerous and often fatal infection.
It’s clear that if we don’t find a way to detect life-threatening bacteria faster, and treat infections sooner, more people will get sick, more will die, and bacteria and superbugs will pose an increasingly significant risk to people, animals, and economies.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is the scientific name for superbugs. According to a review on AMR that the UK government commissioned, superbugs could kill a person every 3 seconds by 2050 … if we don’t take steps now to curb the misuse of antibiotics.
Is there a solution to the "superbug" problem?
The easy answer is yes, but it is going to take more work and investment to produce a testing system that has the potential to significantly reduce the use of antibiotics, and simultaneously detect and prevent virulant bacteria getting into the food production system, or killing large quantities of livestock and fish that are bred in captivity. This is where Edoceo Devices of Colorado is looking to help by taking the groundbreaking technology developed by CSU to a production level.
They are currently seeking innovative small investor funding to fast-track the development and production of a ground-breaking testing platform called B-Detect, which is designed to:
- Be the fastest, easy-to-use, cost effective, portable device that detects the presence of 160 kinds of bacteria when in a virulent (harmful) state.
- Eventually gain a foothold in multiple industries, with its first point of entry being shrimp farms, where bacterial invasions routinely cause massive crop and financial losses.
B-Detect, using the exclusively licensed technology developed by experts at the University of Colorado is expected to be a simple yet effective device that could positively influence bacterial testing needs, with the ultimate goal to become a portable and affordable device that could spread to home use.
Dr Ken Reardon, Chief Science Officer at Edoceo is Professor and Jud and Pat Harper, Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering and holds joint appointments in several other programs at Colorado State University, including Cell and Molecular Biology and Biomedical Engineering. His research combines sensor development, bioreactor analysis, systems biology, and applied microbiology and microbial ecology. It's great to see a potential American developed solution to a growing world problem.
If interested in helping bring this solution to market, and becoming small investors through the innovative Reg. A+ investment process, take a look here for more information...
Now you know more about innovations in controlling bacteria and reducing the use of antibiotics. Learn more about home automation and maintaining healthy indoor air quality here:
Find more about green home construction in the Ecohome Green Building Guide pages - also, learn more about the benefits of a free Ecohome Network Membership here. |
Ecohome Network inc may receive a referral consideration from links in this article - for more details please see our T&C's
Comments (0)
Sign Up to Comment