New Graphene-based Sensor Design Could Improve Food Safety

In the U.S., more than 100 food recalls were issued in 2017 because of contamination from harmful bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella or E. coli. A new sensor design could one day make it easier to detect pathogens in food before products hit the supermarket shelves, thus preventing sometimes-deadly illnesses from contaminated food.

In the journal Optical Materials Express, researchers report a new design for a sensor that can simultaneously detect multiple substances including dangerous bacteria and other pathogens. In addition to food safety, the new design could improve detection of gases and chemicals for a wide range of other applications.

“Our design is based on graphene sheets, which are two-dimensional crystals of carbon just one atom thick,” said research team member Bing-Gang Xiao, from China Jiliang University. “The sensor is not only highly sensitive but can also be easily adjusted to detect different substances.”

Read more at The Optical Society

Image Credit: University of Manchester

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