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Updated: Dec 27, 2025
Foodborne Pathogen Screening Using Magneto-fluorescent Nanosensor: Rapid Detection of E. Coli O157:H7
Published on: September 17, 2017
Surface chemistry modified upconversion nanoparticles as fluorescent sensor array for discrimination of foodborne
Mingyuan Yin1, Chuang Jing1, Haijie Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, School of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, People's Republic of China.
A novel upconversion fluorescent sensor array accurately identifies seven foodborne pathogenic bacteria using lanthanide-doped nanoparticles. This method offers rapid, high-throughput bacterial detection in real samples, improving food safety.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology-based biosensing
- Foodborne pathogen detection
- Upconversion luminescence
Background:
- Accurate identification of foodborne pathogenic bacteria is vital for public health and food safety.
- Conventional bacterial identification methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive.
- Fluorescent sensor arrays offer a promising alternative for rapid bacterial detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an upconversion fluorescent sensor array for efficient foodborne pathogenic bacteria identification.
- To utilize functionalized lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for enhanced bacterial discrimination.
- To overcome limitations of traditional bacterial culture and identification methods.
Main Methods:
- Construction of a fluorescent sensor array using UCNPs functionalized with phenylboronic acid, phosphate groups, or imidazole ionic liquid.
- Application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for precise bacterial identification.
- Testing the sensor array on pure bacterial cultures, bacterial blends, and bacteria in real food and water samples.
Main Results:
- Achieved 100% accuracy in identifying seven common foodborne pathogenic bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative).
- Successfully identified mixed bacterial samples with high accuracy.
- Demonstrated 92.1% accuracy in discriminating bacteria present in real samples like tap water, milk, and beef.
Conclusions:
- The developed fluorescence sensor array is a powerful tool for high-throughput bacterial identification, surpassing traditional culture-based methods.
- The sensor array effectively detects whole bacterial cells and distinguishes between live and dead bacteria.
- This technology holds significant potential for improving food safety and public health surveillance.
