Microfluidic-SERS platform with in-situ nanoparticle synthesis for rapid E. coli detection in food

Heera Jayan; Ruiyun Zhou; Yuxia Zheng; Shanshan Xue; Limei Yin; Hesham R El-Seedi; Xiaobo Zou; Zhiming Guo

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.142800

Microfluidic-SERS platform with in-situ nanoparticle synthesis for rapid E. coli detection in food

Food Chem. 2025 Jan 6:471:142800. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.142800. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Heera Jayan¹, Ruiyun Zhou¹, Yuxia Zheng¹, Shanshan Xue¹, Limei Yin², Hesham R El-Seedi³, Xiaobo Zou⁴, Zhiming Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ China Light Industry Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent Detection & Processing, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
² China Light Industry Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent Detection & Processing, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
³ International Joint Research Laboratory of Intelligent Agriculture and Agri-products Processing, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Box 591, SE 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴ China Light Industry Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent Detection & Processing, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; International Joint Research Laboratory of Intelligent Agriculture and Agri-products Processing, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
⁵ China Light Industry Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent Detection & Processing, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39788011
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.142800

Abstract

A microfluidic-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform for rapid detection of Escherichia coli in food products is proposed. By implementing a Y-junction serpentine microfluidic channel, we achieved in-situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), for enhancing SERS signal intensity. The synthesis of AgNPs was guided by specific aptamers bound to the bacterial cell, which facilitated formation of nanoparticles. This aptamer guided in-situ synthesis ensured specificity and accuracy in detecting E. coli with a limit of detection of 1.1 CFU/mL and a linear detection range from 10² to 10⁸ CFU/mL, showing superior sensitivity compared to other reported methods. The technique also showed recovery value ranging from 83 to 125 % for lettuce sample. The platform combines the advantages of microfluidics and SERS, enabling rapid, sensitive, and label-free detection of pathogens in food. This method addresses limitations of conventional culture-based techniques and other molecular diagnostics, offering a promising tool for microbial food safety analysis.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; Food safety; In-situ nanoparticles; Microfluidic-SERS.