Theodore von Escherich, a German bacteriologist, discovered the bacterium Escherichia coli in 1885. The bacterium, commonly known as E. coli, can be found in the human intestinal tract and comes in multiple forms, only one of which is deadly.  E. coli is only two microns in length and one micron wide. It is rod-shaped and covered with small pili for mobility.

Widely known for its lethal capability, E. coli 0157:H7 is the most common and dangerous strain of E.coli and is found in feces and meat. When milk, cider, water, sawdust, and even the air come in contact with cow feces they may become contaminated with E. coli. Meat is the primary source of infection in humans.

Contamination is caused by direct exposure to the fecal matter of cattle. In order to kill E. coli 0157:H7, the contaminated material must be cooked at 160 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. In the United States alone, each year approximately 73,000 people are afflicted with symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 toxicity and 61 people die. Globally, the E. colocator Glove will reduce the number of people who suffer from E. coli 0157:H7.