Development of Biosensing Technology for Food Safety

background

● Food safety assurance is of great importance under the globalization of distribution in recent years.
● For example, the number of food allergy patients has continuously increased year by year.
● Simple technique for detecting contaminants (i.e. food allergens) in foods is awaited.

summary

● Semiconductor-based biosensors can detect a small amount of target molecules in foods.
● We have developed a biosensing technology to determine the presence of anaphylactogenic food allergens. 

predominance

● Rapid, easy-to-use, high-sensitivity and low-cost method 
● Low-power-consumption driving biosensor chips
● Control and analysis by smartphone

application/development

● Easy food check at factories, schools and homes
● Simultaneous multiplex detection by sensor integration
● Applicable to detection of various protein except  allergens

material

  • (a)Photograph and schematic illustration of semiconductor-based biosensor.
  • (b)Signal amplification in electrochemical detection of buckwheat allergenic protein using field effect transistor biosensor by introduction of anionic surfactant.
  • (c)A prototype sensor module and a smartphone application which manages the module were developed for detecting food allergens.

collaborative researchers

OSAKA, Tetsuya Senior Research Professor (retired)

posted: 2016/10/24