How a Creighton University student is studying bacteria for NASA

UNIVERSITY IS SEARCHING FOR A PORTABLE METHOD TO DETECT BACTERIA, AND HE HAS SOME BIG SUPPORT IN HIS CORNER FROM NASA. KETV NEWSWATCH 7 IS JESSICA PEREZ. SHOWS US HOW THE RESEARCH COULD HELP YOU AND MAYBE ONE DAY FIND LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS USING A CHEMICAL REACTION. AND HIS CELL PHONE. CREIGHTON CHEMISTRY MAJOR PATRICK KIRKHAM. BACH IS HOPING TO USE SMALL TECHNOLOGY FOR A VERY BIG PROJECT ACT. SO WE ARE JUST GENERALLY LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF LIKE ANY BACTERIAL LIFE USING CARBON. HE MAKES A LITTLE RESERVOIR, THEN ADD SOLUTION. SO THIS IS OUR REACTION MIXTURE INTO THE AREA THAT HAS OUR ANALYTES. YEAH. AND THEN OUR CO REACTANTS THIS IS WHAT THE REACTION LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE BACTERIA WOULD BE PRESENT. IT GLOWS TO SEE THE REACTION. HE USES SOMETHING EVERYONE HAS. I TAKE A PICTURE OF THE REACTION WITH MY PHONE AND THE 3D PRINTED CASE JUST BLOCKS OUT ALL THE AMBIENT LIGHT BECAUSE THE REACTION ITSELF IS VERY DIM HERE ON EARTH. THE TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED TO DETECT THINGS LIKE E COLI IN OUR FOOD OR ON OTHER PLANETS. IT COULD BE USED TO FIND OTHER FORMS OF LIFE, BUT NOT EXACTLY ALIEN BACTERIAL LIFE IS KIND OF A MORE PRIMITIVE FORM OF LIFE, SO IT’S MORE LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO BACTERIA ON OTHER PLANETS THAN LIKE A FULL FLEDGED HUMAN BEING. DR. ERIN GROSZ IS ALSO PAYING OTHER STUDENTS TO RESEARCH SMALLER, CHEAPER CAMERAS WITH THE FUNDING. SHE SAYS THE GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE ALMOST ALL 3-D PRINTED TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT BACTERIA. THAT WAS OUR CONNECTION TO NASA, ALONG WITH JUST THE LIGHTWEIGHT, YOU KNOW, PORTABILITY, LOW POWER REQUIREMENTS BY OUR SYSTEM, SHE TELLS ME. SENSITIVE CAMERAS WORK BEST TO SEE THE REACTION TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT. STUDENTS WOULD NEED TO TEST REAL WORLD SAMPLES AS HER COMEBACK TELLS ME HIS TIME IN THE LAB HAS HELPED HIM LEARN A LOT ABOUT HIMSELF WHILE GAINING SOME VALUABLE EXPERIENCE. I LEARNED WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I ORIGINALLY WAS PRE-MED WHEN I CAME INTO COLLEGE AND KIND OF WORKING FULL TIME IN THE LAB OVER THE SUMMERS. I DECIDED THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN DOING AND PURSUING A PHD. DR. GROSS SAYS THE HOPE IS TO PUBLISH ANOTHER PAPER ON THIS RESEARCH AFTER SOME MORE LAB TIME. JESSIC

A student at Creighton University is searching for a portable and affordable method to detect bacteria, and he's getting support from NASA to do it. Chemistry major Patrick Herchenbach is hoping to use small technology for a very big project. He's using his cell phone to capture a chemical reaction. The reaction detects whether certain molecules that bacteria form are present — therefore indicating the presence of bacteria. Herchenbach says the technology was originally meant to find bacteria in our food to stop things like E. coli before an outbreak happens. However, it could also be used to detect bacteria-like forms on other plants. "Bacterial life is kind of a more primitive form of life, so it's more likely that it would be something similar to bacteria on other planets than like a full-fledged human being," Herchenbach said.The NASA funding comes in two parts, a fellowship grant for Herchenbach and a faculty grant to help Dr. Erin Gross. Gross is the professor who originally started this research. She said her interest in this technology came from reading different literature on the topic and how expensive the technology could be. Through her grant, Gross is also paying other students to research smaller, cheaper cameras."That was our connection to NASA, along with just the lightweight, portability, low-power requirements by our system," Gross said.She said the goal would be to have almost all 3D-printed technology to detect bacteria. Right now, the most expensive part of the portable device is the cell phone. Gross said sensitive cameras work best to see the reaction, and to advance the project, students would need to test real-world samples starting with food.Gross said the hope is to publish a paper on this research after some more time in the lab. Herchenbach said doing this research has helped him learn a lot about himself while gaining some valuable experience."I learned what I want to do for the rest of my life, I originally was pre-med, but kind of working in the lab over the summers, I decided that was something I was more interested in doing and pursuing a Ph.D.," Herchenbach said.

OMAHA, Neb. —

A student at Creighton University is searching for a portable and affordable method to detect bacteria, and he's getting support from NASA to do it.

Chemistry major Patrick Herchenbach is hoping to use small technology for a very big project. He's using his cell phone to capture a chemical reaction. The reaction detects whether certain molecules that bacteria form are present — therefore indicating the presence of bacteria.

Herchenbach says the technology was originally meant to find bacteria in our food to stop things like E. coli before an outbreak happens. However, it could also be used to detect bacteria-like forms on other plants.

"Bacterial life is kind of a more primitive form of life, so it's more likely that it would be something similar to bacteria on other planets than like a full-fledged human being," Herchenbach said.

The NASA funding comes in two parts, a fellowship grant for Herchenbach and a faculty grant to help Dr. Erin Gross.

Gross is the professor who originally started this research.

She said her interest in this technology came from reading different literature on the topic and how expensive the technology could be.

Through her grant, Gross is also paying other students to research smaller, cheaper cameras.

"That was our connection to NASA, along with just the lightweight, portability, low-power requirements by our system," Gross said.

She said the goal would be to have almost all 3D-printed technology to detect bacteria. Right now, the most expensive part of the portable device is the cell phone.

Gross said sensitive cameras work best to see the reaction, and to advance the project, students would need to test real-world samples starting with food.

Gross said the hope is to publish a paper on this research after some more time in the lab.

Herchenbach said doing this research has helped him learn a lot about himself while gaining some valuable experience.

"I learned what I want to do for the rest of my life, I originally was pre-med, but kind of working in the lab over the summers, I decided that was something I was more interested in doing and pursuing a Ph.D.," Herchenbach said.

How a Creighton University student is studying bacteria for NASA

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