Kent State University unveils liquid crystal device to detect food pathogens

Researchers at Kent State University and Northeast Ohio Medical University in the US have developed a new technology that uses liquid crystals to identify multiple harmful pathogens in food in one single test.

The Crystal Diagnostics MultiPath system features a cassette that contains five individual ‘cells’, two of which are control cells and three are test cells, as well as a reader.

To use the system, a prepared sample from foods such as ground beef or lettuce can be mixed with liquid crystals and an antibody cocktail.

The cassette must then be inserted into the reader, and if the pathogen is present in the mixture, the liquid aligned in the reader is disrupted and the reader displays the result on an iPad or other device in less than 30 minutes.

A single test can detect multiple pathogens including E coli O157:H7 and six other E coli strains, as well as salmonella and listeria.

Crystal Diagnostics is the exclusive licensee of the new technology, and the company plans to beta-test the technology with leading food processing companies and laboratories this fall.