Polymeric and Paper-Based Lab-on-a-Chip Devices in Food Safety: A Review

Abstract

Food quality and safety are important to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses. Currently, laboratory scale analysis, which takes several days to complete, is the main way to ensure the absence of pathogenic microorganisms in a wide range of food products. However, new methods such as PCR, ELISA, or even accelerated plate culture tests have been proposed for the rapid detection of pathogens. Lab-on-chip (LOC) devices and microfluidics are miniaturized devices that can enable faster, easier, and at the point of interest analysis. Nowadays, methods such as PCR are often coupled with microfluidics, providing new LOC devices that can replace or complement the standard methods by offering highly sensitive, fast, and on-site analysis. This review’s objective is to present an overview of recent advances in LOCs used for the identification of the most prevalent foodborne and waterborne pathogens that put consumer health at risk. In particular, the paper is organized as follows: first, we discuss the main fabrication methods of microfluidics as well as the most popular materials used, and then we present recent literature examples for LOCs used for the detection of pathogenic bacteria found in water and other food samples. In the final section, we summarize our findings and also provide our point of view on the challenges and opportunities in the field.

Functional Surfaces for Passive Fungal Proliferation Control: Effect of Surface Micro- and Nanotopography, Material, and Wetting Properties

“…It is also impressive that species of Aspergillus have been reported to secrete organic acids capable of hydrolyzing powdered stone and chelate minerals and further convert them into glucose-based media, which underscore the metabolic versatility of fungi and their capacity to exploit diverse environmental resources for growth and survival . In order to limit the proliferation of the fungi in as many environments as possible, many early and accurate pathogen detection methods have been proposed . However, along with successful detection, it is also vital to prevent pathogen (i.e., fungi) attachment and proliferation.…”

“… 7 In order to limit the proliferation of the fungi in as many environments as possible, many early and accurate pathogen detection methods have been proposed. 8 However, along with successful detection, it is also vital to prevent pathogen (i.e., fungi) attachment and proliferation. To do so, advanced materials and surfaces with appropriate topography, wetting, and material properties should be realized.…”

Microfluidic Devices for Heavy Metal Ions Detection: A Review

“…Being a relatively new technology, LOCs and microfluidic devices in general are constantly open to new technological approaches, and new materials play an important role in their development. Materials such as glass, silicon, paper, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC) and 3D printing materials are usually used for the fabrication of microfluidics [ 21 ]. Silicon and glass were the first-generation materials for microfluidics as they are thoroughly characterized materials with good surface properties and a wide range of well-established processing techniques, while glass has also excellent optical transparency and biocompatibility.…”

Integrated Plastic Microfluidic Device for Heavy Metal Ion Detection

“…LOCs can be classified into three categories, depending on the methodology employed to drive Micromachines 2023, 14, 1595 2 of 13 the sample through the platform: paper-based microfluidics, digital microfluidics (DMF), and continuous-flow microfluidics [16]. Paper-based devices are based on the capillary action induced by paper, which can enable passive liquid motion, and their fabrication methods are also easy and cost-effective [6,[17][18][19]. The signal readout in such devices is usually colorimetric, lacking the sensitivity and the dynamic range resolution required to meet the needs of numerous applications in food safety and environmental monitoring [17].…”