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Detect bacteria and allergens in a matter of hours


​​​​​​​The ability to detect contaminants in food products as quickly as possible is a major public health issue and an essential factor for industrial efficiency. CEA-Leti is developing lab-on-a-chip systems that deliver results in a matter of hours versus several days for pre-existing solutions.
Published on 11 October 2024

How does it work?

A microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (size of a credit card) automatically performs all the steps in an analysis protocol that would normally be carried out in a laboratory. For bacteria, it extracts the DNA, then amplifies it using PCR. For allergens, it simultaneously carries out antigen-antibody reactions (ELISA test) and biomolecular analysis (PCR). A single cartridge can detect three to five pathogens or allergens at the same time.

Advantages?

The lab-on-a-chip greatly reduces analysis time while ensuring the same quality of detection. In concrete terms, analysis time for a lab-on-a-chip is down to two hours whereas a traditional lab often requires 24 hours for bacteria and up to 10 days for allergens. It also enables analyses to be carried out on site, without the need for a laboratory or a specialized technician.

For food manufacturers, this means they can drastically reduce batch release times, avoid costly product recalls and carry out preventive self-inspection of their production facilities. Protected by a dozen patents, this technology offers consumers even greater guarantees for food safety.

Our research areas:

  • Automate and transfer new analysis protocols on to microfluidic components​
  • Increase the number of analyses on a single microfluidic cartridge
  • Cartridge reusability

Applications?

  • Bacteria detection: listeria, salmonella, Escherichia coli, etc.
  • ​Allergen detection: gluten, sesame, almonds, etc.
  • Detection of mycotoxins​

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