Newly developed automated system detects 16 foodborne pathogens in under one hour
South Korean researchers have developed a fully automated diagnostic platform capable of detecting 16 major foodborne pathogens within one hour, reducing testing time by more than half compared to conventional methods.
The single-button system requires no specialist expertise and integrates all steps from pathogen separation to molecular detection, with validation trials demonstrating strong potential for deployment across the food industry.
From right: Dongkyu Lee, Head of the Diagnostic Sensor Research Laboratory, Chanyong Park, Senior Researcher, and Changha Woo, Postdoctoral Researcher, at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM).
Korean institute unveils one-button pathogen detection platform
A research team at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has developed the country’s first fully automated rapid diagnostic system for foodborne pathogens, addressing longstanding limitations in field-based microbiological testing. The platform, led by Senior Researcher Chanyong Park, Principal Researcher Dongkyu Lee, and Postdoctoral Researcher Changha Woo, integrates food matrix dissociation, nucleic acid pre-treatment, and molecular diagnostics into a single modular device.
The system represents a significant departure from gold-standard culture-based identification methods, which typically require between two days and one week to yield results. Whilst molecular diagnostic techniques have been available, their deployment in field settings has been constrained by the need for specialised analytical equipment and trained personnel to operate complex workflows.
Technical innovation enables field deployment
The KIMM platform automates the entire diagnostic workflow within a single device, performing pathogen separation, nucleic acid purification, amplification, and detection without manual intervention. The system employs hydrodynamic forces generated by high-speed propeller rotation to selectively isolate foodborne pathogens without damaging the food matrix. Following isolation, debris are removed through vacuum filtration using multi-layer separation membranes, enabling rapid processing of large-volume samples exceeding 200 mL.
Purified nucleic acids undergo molecular diagnostics based on high-speed mechanical control, with the system completing 40 cycles of thermal amplification within 15 minutes. The platform utilises proprietary reagents capable of detecting two or more fluorescent signals simultaneously within a single well, combined with a low-cost CMOS-based multi-fluorescence sensor. This configuration enables simultaneous detection of all 16 foodborne pathogens specified in guidelines from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Validation trials demonstrate clinical utility
The system is currently undergoing validation at two demonstration sites across more than four different food product categories. According to the research team, both on-site applicability and analytical accuracy have been successfully verified across all demonstration trials, with significant improvements in processing time compared to existing methods.
“The greatest strength of this system lies in its ability to rapidly and accurately detect foodborne pathogens on site, whilst remaining easy to use even for non-experts,” stated Senior Researcher Chanyong Park. “If deployed in school and industrial catering facilities, food manufacturing sites, and local government food testing centres, the system is expected to play a critical role in preventing foodborne illness incidents in advance and significantly enhancing food safety.”
Implications for public health infrastructure
Principal Researcher Dongkyu Lee emphasised the broader significance of the technology: “This technology—automating every step from separation to nucleic acid purification and molecular diagnostics within a single device—represents an innovative achievement that introduces a new paradigm in Korea’s food safety management framework.”
The platform’s single-button operation, supported by integrated data analysis software, ensures high usability and reliability for non-expert users in field environments. This design feature may prove particularly valuable for deployment across distributed testing networks where specialist laboratory infrastructure is unavailable.
The system was developed through the 2023 Customised Public-Demand Living Safety R&D Programme (Phase 2) funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of Korea. With validation trials showing strong potential for practical deployment and commercialisation, the technology is anticipated to strengthen foodborne illness prevention and response systems across Korea’s food industry.
