USA – A research team at Cornell University announced on Monday that is has developed a sensor to rapidly detect e. coli bacteria.

Field tests of the sensor, which uses liposomes, have detected traces of e. coli and other food-borne pathogens including lysteria in just 8 minutes.

According to Richard Durst, a Cornel professor the sensor provides “very sensitive” detection of e. coli. The test for the presence of pathogens is based around a liposome. This is a microscopic cell-like structure made in the laboratory by adding an aqueous, marker containing solution to a phospholipid mixture.

Liposomes can contain dyes, fluorescent and visible, or other detectable compounds. On the outside of these structures’ membranes, the Cornell researchers fixed antibodies.

When a pathogen, such as e. coli, is detected, it binds to the antibodies and the liposome membrane is ruptured, releasing the dye or other marker.