Marlon S. Thomas, an assistant professor in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, has been awarded a U.S. patent for his development of a new method to quickly identify bacteria strains by using chemical dyes and fluorescent assays. The invention will allow healthcare workers to quickly identify major health risks caused by bacterial infections. His procedure requires no equipment or electricity so it can be used anywhere.
Dr. Thomas explains that, “The goal in any health care emergency, such as food poisoning and contamination, is to quickly identify the root of the problem at hand in order to diagnose the best remedy. The patent holds the potential to provide the means to better manage chronic diseases for physicians and health care professionals.”
The research on the new procedure came about as part of Dr. Thomas’ research for his Ph.D. at the University of California at Riverside.
