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Updated: Jun 4, 2025
Foodborne Pathogen Screening Using Magneto-fluorescent Nanosensor: Rapid Detection of E. Coli O157:H7
Published on: September 17, 2017
Multiplexed food-borne pathogen detection using an argonaute-mediated digital sensor based on a
Zhipan Wang1, Xinrui Cheng1, Aimin Ma1
1College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
Accurate, sensitive and multiplexed detection of food-borne pathogens is crucial for assessing food safety risks. Here we present a digital DNA-amplification-free nucleic acid detection assay to achieve multiplexed and ultrasensitive detection of three food-borne pathogens. We used mesophilic Clostridium butyricum argonaute and magnetic beads in a digital carrier system (d-MAGIC). Clostridium butyricum argonaute, with its two-guide accurate cleavage activity, precisely targets and cleaves fluorescence-quencher reporters corresponding to different bacteria through a two-step process. The system uses fluorescence-encoded magnetic beads as programmable multi-probes, allowing the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens and easy data interpretation via artificial intelligence. The method showed a wide detection range (101 to 107 CFU ml-1) and a low limit of detection of 6 CFU ml-1 for food-borne pathogens without DNA amplification. Digital nucleic acid testing using d-MAGIC can become a next-generation strategy for accurate and convenient pathogen detection.
Insights
A new digital assay detects multiple food-borne pathogens without DNA amplification. This ultrasensitive method uses Clostridium butyricum argonaute and magnetic beads for accurate food safety risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Food safety
- Molecular diagnostics
- Microbiology
Background:
- Accurate, sensitive, and multiplexed detection of food-borne pathogens is essential for food safety.
- Current methods often require DNA amplification, adding complexity and time.
- There is a need for rapid, accurate, and field-deployable pathogen detection systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a DNA-amplification-free nucleic acid detection assay for multiplexed and ultrasensitive detection of food-borne pathogens.
- To utilize a digital carrier system (d-MAGIC) incorporating mesophilic Clostridium butyricum argonaute and magnetic beads.
- To enable simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens with AI-driven data interpretation.
Main Methods:
- Developed a digital DNA-amplification-free nucleic acid detection assay using mesophilic Clostridium butyricum argonaute and magnetic beads in a digital carrier system (d-MAGIC).
- Employed Clostridium butyricum argonaute's two-guide accurate cleavage activity for precise targeting and cleavage of fluorescence-quencher reporters.
- Utilized fluorescence-encoded magnetic beads as programmable multi-probes for simultaneous pathogen detection.
Main Results:
- Achieved multiplexed and ultrasensitive detection of three food-borne pathogens without DNA amplification.
- Demonstrated a wide detection range from 10^1 to 10^7 CFU/ml.
- Obtained a low limit of detection of 6 CFU/ml for food-borne pathogens.
Conclusions:
- The d-MAGIC system offers a next-generation strategy for accurate and convenient pathogen detection.
- This DNA-amplification-free approach simplifies the detection process and enhances sensitivity.
- The developed assay has significant potential for improving food safety risk assessment.
