Real-Time Monitoring of Escherichia coli spp. for on Farm Water Quality Assessment Based on Temperature-Sensitive Nanobrush Actuation

Abstract

Figure 5: Bode plots for A) PNIPAAm-ConA and B) PNIPAAm-Anti-GroEL antibody modified electrodes exposed to various concentrations of E. coli O157:H7 (CFU mL -1 ) in vegetable broth. Insets show the exploded view over the frequency range of 1-3.5 Hz. Nyquist plots for C) PNIPAAm-ConA modified electrodes and D) PNIPAAm-Anti-GroEL antibody modified electrodes exposed to various concentration of E. coli O157:H7 (CFU mL -1 ) in vegetable broth. Calibration curves at 1 Hz for E) PNIPAAm-ConA and F) PNIPAAm-Anti-GroEL antibody modified electrodes exposed to E. coli O157:H7 in vegetable broth over their respective linear ranges.Foodborne pathogens are a major concern for the health and safety of the public. Escherichia coli spp. are some of the most common foodborne bacteria. Conventional methods for detecting E. coli are time-consuming and require highly trained personnel and laboratories. Therefore, More rapid, sensitive, and reliable methods are needed for pathogen detection in food products to ensure public health.To develop a sensing mechanism for rapid, label-free detection of E. coli spp. in food samples using temperatureresponsiveness of poly(N-isopropylacrylmide) (PNIPAAm) brushes. This bio-inspired soft material and sensing mechanism resembles natural bacteria-host symbiotic systems where low concentrations of bacteria in complex matrices are selectively captured.