Revolutionizing Food Safety: Lab-in-a-Package:
In a world where food safety is essential, a paper published by researchers at the McMaster University (CA), GeSiM’s customer, introduces a game-changing solution: Lab-in-a-Package. This innovative approach aims to transform the way we detect and prevent foodborne illnesses, offering a hands-free, real-time method within the confines of a closed food package.
Foodborne illnesses affect millions globally, presenting significant threats to both health and economies due to treatment costs. Traditional testing methods have proven inefficient, prompting a shift towards a more responsive approach. Lab-in-a-Package emerges as a beacon of hope in addressing these challenges.
Lab-in-a-Package comprises a newly designed packaging tray, a reagent-infused membrane, and a pathogen sensor. The inclined tray optimizes fluid localization onto the sensor, while the membrane acts as a shield against fouling and ensures the sensor’s efficiency. The headliner is the Salmonella-responsive nucleic acid probe, providing accurate detection without the need for user intervention.
At the core of Lab-in-a-Package’s development and optimization lies GeSiM’s Nano-Plotter. The piezoelectric pipetting robot was used to deposit the nucleic acid probe onto the sensor surface, which enables hands-free detection of pathogens in packaged chicken.
The researchers at McMaster used a handheld fluorescence scanner, connected to a smartphone, to read out the sensor. Lab-in-a-Package’s system allows for continuous monitoring of packaged foods, providing results on an hour-scale without compromising the integrity of the products.
It stands out as an innovative application for the flexible microarray printer from GeSiM, highlighting the global efforts that drive progress in food safety.
Overview of Lab-in-a-Package sensing window. (a) Optical image of sensing interface with membrane and FNAP (fluorescence nucleic acid probe) sensor shown within the sensing window of the redesigned packaging tray. (b) Zoomed-in optical image of FNAP sensor arrays.[1]
This post is based on the following publication:
[1] A. Prasad, S. Khan, J. K. Monteiro, J. Li, F. Arshad, L. Ladouceur, L. Tian, A. Shakeri, C. D. M. Filipe, Y. Li, T. F. Didar, Advancing In Situ Food Monitoring through a Smart Lab-in-a-Package System Demonstrated by the Detection of Salmonella in Whole Chicken. Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2302641. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202302641
