To develop a compact, incubator-compatible imaging system for detecting bacterial growth in droplets using a metabolic dye indicator.

Project Overview

Bacterial detection methods are essential for clinical diagnostics, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and environmental monitoring. However, current techniques are time-consuming due to prolonged culture times and often require large blood samples. To address this, our project aims to reduce detection time by extracting bacteria from culture and distributing the samples among equisized droplets, which allows the detection and sampling of multiple wells. To identify which droplets contain bacteria, we are tasked to develop a system that detects multiple wells that contain the sampled droplets to significantly reduce detection time—an approach that is not yet optimized in the bioimaging industry. This project focuses on developing a visual screening device that captures images or detects signals from semi-spherical sessile droplets placed on a glass slide. Each droplet contains bacteria and a dye (e.g., WST-1) that changes color (colorless shift to red as bacteria grow) in response to metabolic activity, enabling visual assessment of bacterial growth over time. The imaging unit must fit inside a lab incubator, operate reliably at 37 °C and high humidity, and potentially include magnification capabilities. In addition, the team will design software to process color signals for automated growth detection or image storage. This technology functions as a miniaturized, droplet-based alternative to a fluorescence plate reader, tailored for rapid bacterial screening.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Aidan Brey - Team Leader
• Mia LaRico - Communicator
• Baljinder Singh - BSAC
• Zhaoyun Tang - BWIG
• Yiwei Dong - BPAG
• Nabil Hussaini

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Beth Meyerand - Advisor
• Dr. David Beebe - Client
• Dr. Mohammad Yaghoobi - Alternate Contact