Technique for detecting microorganisms

Abstract

A technique for detecting the presence of microorganisms in a simple, rapid, and efficient manner is provided. More specifically, the technique involves identifying one or more volatile compounds associated with a particular microorganism of interest. The volatile compounds may be identified, for instance, using solid phase microextraction in conjunction with gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (“GC/MS”) analysis methods. Once identified, an indicator may then be selected that is configured to undergo a detectable color change in the presence of the identified volatile compound(s). If desired, the indicator may be provided on a substrate to form an indicator strip for use in a wide variety of applications. In this manner, the presence of the microorganism may be rapidly detected by simply observing a color change of the indicator strip.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.