Visual and quantitative detection of E. coli O157:H7 by coupling immunomagnetic separation and quantum dot-based paper strip

Simple and visual quantitative detection of foodborne pathogens can effectively reduce the outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Herein, we developed a simple and sensitive quantum dot (QD)-based paper device for visual and quantitative detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 based on immunomagnetic separation and nanoparticle dissolution-triggered signal amplification. In this study, E. coli O157:H7 was magnetically separated and labeled with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and the AgNP labels can be converted into millions of Ag ions, which subsequently quench the fluorescence of QDs in the paper strip, which along with the readout can be visualized and quantified by the change in length of fluorescent quenched band. Owing to the high capture efficiency and effective signal amplification, as low as 500 cfu mL−1 of E. coli O157:H7 could be easily detected by naked eyes. Furthermore, this novel platform was successfully applied to detect E. coli O157:H7 in spiked milk samples with good accuracy, indicating its potential in the detection of foodborne pathogens in real samples.