One-step sensing of foodborne pathogenic bacteria using a 3D paper-based device

Area of Science:

• Food safety
• Analytical chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Bacterial food contamination poses significant public health and industrial challenges.
• Enzymatic substrates with optical properties are crucial for bacterial detection methods.
• Chromogenic substrates are increasingly used in point-of-care diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a paper-based sensor for detecting major foodborne pathogens.
• To create a compact, user-friendly device for rapid bacterial analysis.
• To reduce analysis time and simplify the detection process.

Main Methods:

• Exploited four types of chromogenic substrates for sensor development.
• Designed a compact, three-dimensional paper device with functional layers.
• Integrated pre-lysis and pH regulation exclusion through layer functionalization.
• Utilized a single sample droplet for the entire analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved successful detection of pathogens at 10^1 colony-forming units per milliliter (cfu mL-1) in 4-8 hours with enrichment.
• Detected pathogens in milk samples within 12 hours.
• Demonstrated a low limit-of-detection (LOD) of 10^1 cfu mL-1 and below.
• Observed target-specific color changes after enzymatic reactions.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-based sensor offers a low-cost, portable, and simple solution for bacterial detection.
• Layer functionalization significantly reduces analysis steps and time compared to existing methods.
• The sensor shows potential for effective point-of-care diagnostics in food safety applications.