August 14, 2009--The European Seventh Framework Programme has chosen companies from the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Spain, and the U.K. to develop an innovative system to detect the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in agro-food industries over a two year project ending in 2011. Photek (St. Leonards on Sea, England) will collaborate with some of those companies to develop fluorescence detection techniques for this and other pathogens.
The main limitations of current detection techniques include the need of specialized equipment and personnel. Food-processing companies do not always have the required facilities and qualified staff in plants so they must outsource the analyses to external, accredited laboratories for a process that takes approximately one to ten days. The BioliSME project is centred on technologies that enable more cost effective, safe and on-site detection of pathogens within an hour. The new system is flexible and will also be applied to detect other important pathogens, as well as the detection of Listeria, in clinical and environmental sectors.
Fluoresescence detection is at the base of the proposed sensing scheme. Using knowledge of camera systems for photon detection (see also "Diamond dynodes create new breed of photon detectors"), Photek will collaborate with BVT in the Czech Republic and 40-30 in France to construct the detection prototype and to integrate the sample and measurement units. The project will also allow Photek to expand further in biological and life science markets while strengthening European research and innovation of new pathogen detection in food processing plants.
For more information, go to www.photek.co.uk.
--Posted by Gail Overton, [email protected]; www.laserfocusworld.com.