Overview
Zheng and colleagues developed a microcantilever array biosensor using gold nanoparticles as mass-loading signal amplifiers for the simultaneous culture-free detection of six foodborne bacterial pathogens in milk. Gold nanoparticles provide the analytical mass amplification; they are not measured as food contaminants. The multiplex capability (six pathogens in a single measurement) and sub-10 cell/mL sensitivity without PCR amplification make this a demonstration of AuNP utility in food microbiological safety screening.
Key numbers
LOD: 1 to 9 cells/mL depending on species. Working range: 3 to 1.2x10^5 cells/mL. Detection time: under 1 hour. Validated in spiked pasteurized milk.
Implications for the wiki
This paper contributes to Gold as documentation of AuNP-based sensing platforms applied to microbiological food safety. No food occurrence data for gold or any heavy metal are provided.
Related evidence
Update history
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