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. 2025 Mar 25;192(4):255.
doi: 10.1007/s00604-025-07111-2.

Phage@lanthanide metal-organic framework-based fluorescent biosensor for smartphone-assisted simultaneous detection of multiple foodborne pathogens

Xiaolong Qu  1   2 , Zongwu Meng  1   2 , Tao Zhang  1   2 , Heng Dai  1   2 , Pian Wu  3   4 , Ping Ding  5   6
Affiliations

Phage@lanthanide metal-organic framework-based fluorescent biosensor for smartphone-assisted simultaneous detection of multiple foodborne pathogens

Xiaolong Qu et al. Mikrochim Acta. .

Abstract

The simple, rapid, and simultaneous detection of multiple foodborne pathogens in food is crucial for ensuring public safety. In this study, a rational design strategy for lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), informed by theoretical calculations, was proposed. The calculated results were experimentally verified to screen out the optimal Ln-MOF for fluorescence efficiency. The selected Ln-MOFs were coupled with phages that exhibit specific pathogen recognition to develop phage@Ln-MOF fluorescent probes, while the magnetic nanoparticles were conjugated with phages to form capture probes. On this basis, a fluorescent biosensor was developed for the simultaneous detection of three major foodborne pathogens-Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Salmonella. This sensor facilitated the detection of all three pathogens within 15 min, with limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1 CFU/mL. Moreover, this fluorescent biosensor was compatible with on-site visual detection, utilizing a self-designed portable dark box and smartphone-assisted visualization, achieving an LOD of approximately 1-2 CFU/mL for E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella. This work demonstrates a novel approach for the rapid on-site detection of multiple foodborne pathogens, which holds promise for advancing field-ready diagnostic tools in food safety monitoring.

Keywords: Foodborne pathogen; Magnetic separation; Metal-organic framework; Phage; Rational design; Smartphone-assisted color detection; Visual detection.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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