A groundbreaking field diagnostic technology has been developed that reduces the testing time for a deadly food poisoning bacterium, which can be contracted through summer shellfish, from one day to under one hour.
Researchers at Pukyong National University, led by doctoral student Han Won and Professor Shin Joong-ho, have created a portable paper-based diagnostic device that can confirm the presence of Vibrio vulnificus in about one hour on-site.
Vibrio vulnificus can cause sepsis or tissue necrosis when ingested through contaminated seafood or enters the body through wounds. It can be particularly fatal for individuals with liver disease or weakened immune systems, making rapid detection and management essential.
Currently, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits widely used for food safety are highly accurate but typically take about a day from sample cultivation to result confirmation. These tests can only be conducted in laboratories equipped with expensive machinery and skilled personnel, limiting their immediate application in the field.
The diagnostic device developed by the research team automates the processes of gene amplification and detection, overcoming these limitations. A sample is collected from the gills of oysters using a swab, and after extracting DNA, the sample and buffer solution are placed on a paper pad inside the device. By winding the machine's 'spring' once, the reaction proceeds automatically. As long as the temperature is maintained around 37 degrees Celsius, results can be visually determined from the lines that appear on the paper strip after about one hour.
Performance validation showed that the device could detect even a single bacterium in pure culture solutions. It also reliably identified contamination in oysters raised in seawater artificially contaminated with Vibrio and clearly distinguished it from similar Vibrio species. Additionally, the core paper reaction pads were confirmed to maintain performance with minimal degradation even when stored at room temperature for several weeks.
Professor Shin Joong-ho stated, "While existing commercial PCR kits are laboratory-centered, this device focuses on automating the testing process to make it relatively easy to use in small facilities or in the field. We expect it can also be adapted for detecting various pathogens by simply changing the reagents."
With excellent performance proven through pure culture and artificially contaminated samples, the device is expected to undergo practical verification in various environments, such as actual aquaculture sites and distribution channels, leading to its commercialization.
Meanwhile, this research was published in the August issue of the international journal 'ACS Sensors' (IF 10.9) and was supported by the Korea Research Foundation's core research project, the Ministry of Education's academic research support project in the science and engineering fields, and the BK21 project.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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