KODIAK — An Alaska group is working to create an at-home tester for detective toxins in local seafood.
The Kodaik Daily Mirror reports that Alaska SeaGrant officials are working on a tester for paralytic shellfish poisoning, an illness that can cause tingling in the lips, tongue, fingers and toes and eventual breathing problems. Officials say testing currently costs $125 per test and has a time delay, as samples need to be sent in to the state.
Researchers have developed an electrochemical tester for PSP inspired by the blood sugar tests diabetics use. Pat Tester with Ocean Tester says the machine currently takes 20 minutes, but that time will hopefully drop to five minutes or less over the next few years.
