Salmonella Sensing System Detects Pathogenic Bacteria

Researchers may have discovered a new sensing system that can detect contaminated food materials that can potentially lead to food poisoning.

As food poisoning is the culprit of illness for more than 1 in 6 Americans or 48 million people each year, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 3,000 suffering from food-related health issues will die from such problems.

Fortunately, according to researchers, this system could help detect pathogenic bacteria that could prevent some of the deaths and infections.

According to researchers from Auburn University, they combined a surface-scanning coli detector that uses biosensors coated with a bacteria-specific recognition layer to help detect specific types of pathogenic bacteria

"The key to our discovery is that measurement of biosensors can now be made 'outside the coil' by using a specially designed microfabricated reading device," Yating Chai said, via a press release, a doctoral student in Auburn University's materials engineering program. "In the past, if we were trying to detect whether or not a watermelon was contaminated with Salmonella on the outside of its surface, the sensors would be placed on the watermelon, and then passed through a large coil surrounding it to read the sensors."

This new biosensing system is a handheld device that can be passed over food in order to determine if a surface has been contaminated.

"Now, tests can be carried out in agricultural fields or processing plants in real time -- enabling both the food and processing plant equipment and all surfaces to be tested for contamination," notes Chai.

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More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Applied Physics.