Glycan-coated magnets: a game-changer for safer food supply chains
Chinese Academy of SciencesA new method using glycan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (gMNPs) is poised to change the way we detect foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli and Salmonella in complex food matrices such as melons, lettuce, and raw chicken. Unlike traditional methods that rely on expensive antibodies or lengthy enrichment processes, this innovation offers a rapid detection system that extracts and confirms pathogens through qPCR in less than four hours. The gMNPs bind efficiently to pathogens, even in the presence of natural microbiota, across a wide range of pH levels and food matrices. At just $0.50 per test and without the need for cold storage, this approach has the potential to significantly reduce the global burden of foodborne illnesses.
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