Colorimetric Detection of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 with Signal Enhancement Using Size-Based Filtration on a Finger-Powered Microfluidic Device

• Main Authors: Younggeun Jo, Juhwan Park, Je-Kyun Park
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: colorimetric detection; <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7; finger-powered; microfluidics; size-based filtration
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/8/2267

Although immunomagnetic separation is a useful sample pretreatment method that can be used to separate target pathogens from a raw sample, it is challenging to remove unbound free magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for colorimetric detection of target pathogens. Here, size-based filtration was exploited <b>f</b>or the rapid on-site detection of pathogens separated by immunomagnetic separation in order to remove unbound free MNPs using a finger-powered microfluidic device. A membrane filter and an absorbent pad were integrated into the device and a mixture of unbound free MNPs and MNP-bound <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) O157:H7 was dispensed over the membrane filter by pressing and releasing the pressure chamber. A colorimetric signal was generated by MNP-bound <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 while unbound free MNPs were washed out by the absorbent. Furthermore, the colorimetric signals can be amplified using a gold enhancer solution when gold-coated MNPs were used instead of MNPs. As a result, 10² CFU/mL <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 could be detected by the enhanced colorimetric signal on a proposed device.