101117QUICK-TESTClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKDelAgua Water Testing Ltd in partnership with the University of Surrey has been awarded a grant from the Technology Strategy Board to develop a rapid microbial test called ‘Quick-Test’. Quick-Test will be a simple, low cost, user friendly, portable test system for the detection of indicator bacteria and pathogens in food, beverages and water. To achieve this goal, the kit will be semi-automated and produce a quantitative result in less than an hour. The objectives for this project are to be able to provide a low cost test, with a count of viable bacteria specific to a target species, with results being achieved in under an hour, compared to the 18 hours to 10 days of current standard testing methods. Applications for this technology range from a drinking water test for the developing world to sophisticated multi-species testers for the developed world suitable for use in food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing, as well on site testing anywhere in the food production chain.