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Caffeine 'Dipstick' Test for Coffee

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the so-you'll-know-you're-going-to-get-wired dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are developing a quick test for caffeine that works even with hot beverages and plan to adapt their technology to a simple ('dipstick') test that can be used to check for caffeine in a variety of drinks. The key to the caffeine test comes from llamas and camels since these camelids happen to be among the few creatures whose immune systems can produce antibodies that aren't destroyed at the high temperatures common to brewed beverages. The researchers reasoned that if they could create heat-resistant camelid antibodies that reacted to caffeine, they could potentially build a durable assay suitable for use almost anywhere."

2 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I've already got one of these by greginnj · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Except for the people who have medical reasons to avoid caffeine, and want to make absolutely sure that what was in the orange pot was decaf...

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  2. How about a Caffeine coated dipstick? by macz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Eliminate the coffee, and its subsequent need to be tested, altogether?

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