EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Beach closures and food recalls are often triggered by the detection of harmful bacteria, but testing for this can take days.

A Michigan State University researcher, Evangelyn Alocilja, has developed a faster, more accessible method that delivers results in just a few hours.

The innovative approach uses magnets combined with gold nanoparticles to identify contamination in samples quickly and cheaply.

According to the researcher, the goal was to create a test that’s not only accurate but also simple enough to be used outside of traditional labs.

Magnets, which are inexpensive and widely available, are used to attract and isolate bacteria from a sample.

Once treated and mixed with gold nanoparticles, the solution changes color based on the presence of bacter

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