“Fatal Scream” Of Bacteria Infected By Phages: Nanoscale Detection Of Bacteriophage Triggered Ion Cascade

A rapid, inexpensive and specific identification of arbitrary bacteria under field conditions is urgently needed. To this end, we have introduced and tested a new technology, called SEPTIC, SEnsing of Phage‐Triggered Ion Cascade. In its prototype form based on a nanowell chip, SEPTIC has already been shown to be capable of unambiguous identification of live bacteria on a time scale of seconds to minutes, many times faster than any other system. The technology is based on using noise analysis to detect the massive ionic fluxes associated with the initial step of bacteriophage infection, the injection of the phage DNA into the cell. Here we show the results and pose a number of unsolved problems of noise. Ultimately, sensors based on this new technology would be able to save many lifes.