The last 10 years have seen a marked rise in the number of serious public-health incidents related to infections caused by bacterial pathogens, ranging from contaminated drinking water and foods to antibiotic-resistant infections – even threats related to bio-terrorism.

In this context, the inability to quickly detect and identify bacteria is a troubling gap in the modern suite of medical diagnostics. Most modern bacterial testing can take days.

That’s where UWindsor physics professor Steven Rehse comes in. He uses lasers to explode and then analyze bacteria, making identification possible within minutes. He will discuss this research in a free public presentation at Canada South Science City, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19.

Dr. Rehse’s research team is interested not only in developing this technology for practical use, but also in educating the next generation of young scientists in the interdisciplinary skills essential for developing advanced biomedical technologies in the 21st Century.

His talk is part of the Science Café series—free discussions of important science research for the general public—held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the café of Canada South Science City and sponsored by the Faculty of Science. The next event in the series is scheduled for November 16.

Canada South Science City is located at 930 Marion Avenue in Windsor. For more information, go to the Web site www.cssciencecity.com or phone 519-973-3667.