Fang-Wen Yeh, Chun-Hui Chiu, Reuben Wang, Yu-Chia Su, Virly, Tung-Yi Lin
Escherichia coli is a common bacterium that can contaminate food and water, leading to infections. Traditional detection methods like PCR and ELISA, while accurate, require specialized equipment and take time. This study aimed to develop a fast and effective biosensor to detect E. coli in liquids. The biosensor is based on bacteriophage-modified europium alginate beads. These beads were fabricated using an extrusion drop method, followed by a two-step EDC/NHS process to immobilize E. coli bacteriophages on the surface. To enhance the photoluminescence intensity, 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) was added to the fabrication process. The biosensor achieved a low detection limit of 37 CFU·mL−1 with a response time of 30 min. It accurately detected E. coli in bottled water and apple juice, with non-linear correlations between bacterial concentrations (101–106 CFU·mL−1) and luminescence intensity. Additionally, the biosensor demonstrated consistent performance across production batches, showing high specificity and selectivity in detecting target bacteria. This pioneering one-time-use bacteriophage-based biosensor significantly advances the rapid and specific detection of E. coli in liquid samples. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Institute of Food Safety and Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan; Kidney Research Center, Department of Nephrology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan; Mater of Public Health Program (MPH), College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan; (GIP-TRIAD) Global Innovation Joint-Degree Program, International Joint Degree Master's Program in Agro-Biomedical Science in Food and Health, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Global Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, No. 222, Mai Chin Road, Kee-lung, 204, Taiwan