This Isn't Your Grandpa's Litmus Paper

This Isn't Your Grandpa's Litmus Paper
这不是你奶奶的石蕊试纸
It’s similar to a pregnancy test: a drop of liquid on a strip of paper causes an easily seen color change. But imagine that kind of simple, cheap technology employed in testing for pollution or health issues, anywhere and on the cheap. Researchers at Colorado State University describe such a system in the journal Lab On A Chip. [David M. Cate et al.,Simple, distance-based measurement for paper analytical devices]
这很像怀孕测试：一张纸条沾上液滴造成简单可见的颜色变化。但是，想象折中简单便宜的技术用到污染或健康问题的测试，在任何地方都很便宜。Colorado State University 的研究人员描述了这样一种系统in the journal Lab On A Chip. [David M. Cate et al.,Simple, distance-based measurement for paper analytical devices]
Other paper tests may give only slight color differences, and some rely on expensive equipment to read the results.
其它的试纸测试可能颜色变化很少，有些还依赖于昂贵的设备来读取结果。
For the new technology, the research team designed a system that creates a dramatic color change on the paper. The user drops liquid to be analyzed at the bottom of the paper. As capillary action pulls the liquid up, substances in the paper react, causing the color change.
对于这项新技术，研究人员设计了一个系统，它可能使试纸发生显著的颜色变化。用户滴的液体可以在试纸底部进行分析。由于纸的毛细管的作用让液体上行，试纸上的物质发生反应，造成颜色变化。
So far, three tests exist for the system. One looks for nickel, which can be an environmental pollutant. The other two are for glutathione, a health marker, and glucose, for diabetics.
迄今为止，系统中有三种测试。一种需要镍，会造成环境污染。另外两种是谷胱甘肽，一种健康标记，以及葡萄糖，用于糖尿病检测。
In trials, the paper tests competed with conventional methods at measuring concentrations.
试验表明，试纸测试比常规方法在测量浓度方面更有竞争力。
The university is now spinning off a company to develop the technology. If successful, it could bring cheap, easy analysis to scientists—and citizens—around the world.
该大学正在成立一家公司来开发该技术。如果成功，它会使测试分析，不仅是对科学家，对世界各地的普通人也会更便宜简单。