Fiber Optic Food Safety
Each year, contamination by E. coli bacteria causes more than 70,000 cases of food poisoning. Present methods for detecting these germs in food entail making bacterial cultures and take eight to 48 hours to deliver a verdict. A fiber-optic probe originally intended for sniffing out biowarfare agents works in as little as 15 minutes, says microbiologist Daniel DeMarco at the University of South Florida.
The probe consists of an optical fiber whose tip is coated with antibodies that pick up bacteria in the food being tested. Researchers then add fluorescently tagged antibodies to the sample. These labeled antibodies stick to the bacteria on the probe. A laser pulse sent down the probe triggers fluorescent emissions that travel back up the fiber when bacteria are present. The probe, developed by Research International in Woodinville, Wash., and the Naval Research Laboratory, is three to four times more sensitive than other detection systems, DeMarco says. He has tested the instrument on ground beef and apple cider and is adapting it to sense Listeria and Salmonella, two other common food poisons.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Why China is still obsessed with disinfecting everything
Most public health bodies dealing with covid have long since moved on from the idea of surface transmission. China’s didn’t—and that helps it control the narrative about the disease’s origins and danger.

These materials were meant to revolutionize the solar industry. Why hasn’t it happened?
Perovskites are promising, but real-world conditions have held them back.

Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.

A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.