The paper-based sensor detects antimicrobial pollutants, which induce antimicrobial resistance in water bodies.
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‘Researchers developed a novel strategy for low-cost fabrication of the robust laser printed-microfluidic paper-based analytical sensors. It will help to detect antimicrobials easily in the parts per million range.’
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Scientific communities across the world are focused on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which could possibly become a world-wide health crisis involving deadly pathogens. 
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Water bodies are the major source for the dissemination and transfer of AMR. Periodic monitoring of antimicrobial pollutants and antibiotic-resistant genes is the key to assess the current situation of AMR in India.
The process utilises the easily available laser printer and hence offers tremendous potential for large scale sensor fabrication. It could enable community-driven microfluidics and facilitate mass surveillance.
It will also help understand the relationship between AMR and AMR-triggering pollutants and assist policymakers in framing solutions to tackle grand societal AMR challenges.
The novel sensor can be used for monitoring environment, healthcare and also for food safety analysis, revealed the findings published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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This eliminates the requirement of a pump-to-flow liquids. We have come up with a novel method for the fabrication of paper- based devices using a commercial laser printer," said S Pushpavanam, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, in a statement.
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Source-IANS