Disposable Biosensor for Pathogen Detection in Fresh Produce Samples Biosystems Engineering

A Disposable Biosensor for Pathogen Detection in Fresh Produce Samples Biosystems Engineering
Volume 88, Issue 2, June 2004, Pages 145-151
Z. Muhammad-Tahir and E. C. Alocilja
Biosystems Engineering Department Michigan State University, 204 Farrall Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323, USA;

Abstract
As the safety in the food supply becomes critical, the demand for rapid, low volume and sensitive biosensor devices has dramatically increased. This paper describes a novel biosensor based on electrochemical sandwich immunoassay for Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection in fresh produce such as lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, and strawberries. The biosensor design is based upon the specific nature of labeled antibody-antigen binding. The architecture of the biosensor demonstrates the advantages of using lateral flow format strip attached to a portable circuitry for signal measurement. Results show that the biosensor can detect an average of 81 CFU ml⁻¹ (number of samples n=9) in six min. Details on the performance of the biosensor in detecting pathogenic organisms in fresh produce are presented.