Gold to detect foodborne microbes

Gold sparkling

Microbial contamination of food is responsible for 2.4 million cases of food poisoning per year, and also causes food spoilage, contributing to the 25% of food that is wasted. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how easy-to-use, rapid diagnostic tests can contribute to protecting public health.

Dr Enrico Ferrari from Lincoln University is partnering with Dr Rosario Romero from Fera Science Ltd in this project to bring that approach to the food industry. It will provide proof-of-concept of rapid tests based on gold nanotechnology. This technology can then be expanded to multiple pathogens and used without the needs for specialised laboratories or staff throughout the food production chain to understand precisely where and when contamination occurs.