BUILT BY SCIENCE.
POWERED BY YOU
How our innovative development of endotoxin detection technology puts the power of water quality testing in your hands.
WHEN WAITING ISN’T AN OPTION
Unlike other water quality testing methods, Bacterisk allows you to make accurate water quality risk assessments in the field within 15 minutes. This is all down to our patented endotoxin detection technology which cuts out the long waits involved in lab testing and the dangerous practice of growing live bacteria.
Endowhats?
Endotoxins also known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), are the main molecular component of the outer wall of Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli, Vibrio, Campylobacter and Salmonella. Whilst detection technology for these molecules in pharmaceutical and healthcare settings has been widely developed, we are the first to leverage it to make testing for water contamination safe, quick, simple and portable.
Gram-negative Bacteria
The most harmful types of bacteria found in contaminated water are classified as Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike Gram-positive bacteria, they have a hard, protective outer shell, are difficult to kill and extremely resistant to antibiotics.
Gram-negative bacteria release endotoxins when their cell wall is disturbed – when present in bodily infections, these endotoxins make the symptoms of illness worse and can lead to sepsis.
However, in an ecological setting, endotoxins also offer an opportunity. As the presence of endotoxin molecules is simpler and quicker to test for than the presence of the bacteria itself, endotoxins provide us with a way of not just detecting, but also measuring the severity of contamination.
The germ journey.
From beginning to endotoxin
Human waste, animal waste, or other contaminants enter the water
These contaminants contain pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.
As these bacteria grow or die, they shed their endotoxin molecules.
Water samples are collected and tested using Bacterisk.
Bacterisk test results are given within 15 minutes providing an endotoxin risk (ER) value.
You can make an informed assessment on the level of risk and carry out further investigation if needed.
As well as detecting endotoxins found in human and animal faecal matter, Bacterisk also detects harmful pathogens caused by run-off from contaminated soil like Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
