Utilization of specific DNA-probes for the rapid detection of Campylobacter spp. in meat by using an OLED-based reader

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis in 2012. The proportion of Campylobacter-positive broiler meat confirms broiler meat as a source of human Campylobacter infections. High cost to public health systems due to high rate hospitalization surveillance can be reduced by decreasing the number of outbreaks. Rapid tools are needed, cheap systems could allow a high number of samples to be subjected to safety evaluation. Methodologies based on the ISO 10272-1B: 2006 require long time to grow microorganisms leading to the distribution of contaminated food before the obtainement of the results. Molecular biology techniques have greatly improved the reduction the time required, but the utilization of DNA-probe biosensors could be the best solution. Targeting a specific DNA sequence in the 16S rDNA it was possible to design a couple of DNA probes to use for the specific detection of Campylobacter spp.. High specificity and high sensitivity have been obtained coupling the use of two DNA probes with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) reader for analyzing poultry samples from the market. The detection probe labelled with a fluorophore was detected by an OLED reader and reached a sensitivity of 0.37 ng/L DNA