Hybrid nanosensor detects bacteria of foodborne illnesses in an hour

Current methods for testing foodborne illnesses include MRI, which can detect very low levels of bacteria but is ineffective in high concentrations of bacteria, and fluorescence, which is effective in high concentrations of bacteria and ineffective with low levels. Tuhina Banerjee, PhD, Santimukul Santra, PhD, both of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and colleagues decided to combine these two methods in developing a hybrid device to produce the greatest effectiveness of contamination sensor. Their findings appear in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases.

Separately, the two different methods can take up to 24 hours to produce results. With food contamination causing 1,000 deaths annually in the U.S., limited the time until contamination is discovered is key in limiting the effects of tainted producs.

The hybrid nanosensor, combining the power of incorporating magnetic resonance and fluorescence, was tested on different concentrations of E. coli. The sensor was able to produce results in one hour and can further be personalized to detect other pathogens.