Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have shown E.coli can do more than keep you sick in bed for days. In a new study, researchers demonstrated that the bacterium can detect heavy metal contamination in water. … “This new water monitoring method is highly sensitive, fast and versatile,” said co-author Regina Ragan, UCI professor of materials science and engineering. “It allowed the algorithms to determine if drinking water was within U.S.

In a similar vein, University of California, Irvine researchers developed an open-source codebase for a QR code–based app called TrackCOVID, which alerts people if they’ve interacted with infected people. The QR codes will be posted in high-traffic areas, such as university campuses, grocery stores and public transportation hubs. “If you went to the same place as someone who was exposed within a certain time frame, you will be notified that you may have been exposed,” says Tyler Yasaka, co-developer of the app.