Advanced optical techniques for foodborne pathogens

A 3-day Rank Prize symposium on Advanced optical techniques for foodborne pathogens was held from the 14th to the 17th of July at Leeming House Hotel in the Lake District, UK. Food poisoning is a major global challenge, with a recent BBC article (November 2023) highlighting the scale of the problem even in advanced countries. In the USA, for example, an estimated 48 million people are affected each year by foodborne illness, of whom 128,000 are hospitalised and 3,000 die. In the UK, there are around 2.4 million cases annually, with an estimated 180 deaths and a total cost of £9 billion. Even, in recent days two food scares have arisen within the UK with tomatoes being the source for a major Salmonella food poisoning outbreak and with the UK government reporting that an alarming amount of meat is being smuggled into the UK, risking a major disease outbreak.

The event was hosted by Prof Katrina Campbell, Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Ruchi Gupta from Birmingham University and Dr Nicolas Laurand from Strathclyde University alongside the Rank Prize Team of Prof Martin Dawson Strathclyde University and Helen Berrington. The symposium brought together leading and early career researchers from the UK, Ireland, Europe and India, spanning expertise in chemistry, microbiology, biosensors, materials, optoelectronics, and food science and security. The aim was to identify the needs, barriers and opportunities for optical technologies to help address these challenges. New optical techniques are being developed to provide highly sensitive and specific detection of foodborne pathogens, with the potential for deployment at multiple stages of the food supply chain. These approaches include both label-based and label-free methods, such as fluorescence, colorimetric sensing, localised surface plasmon resonances, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and planar waveguide systems. A key challenge remains in the translation of these advances into instruments capable of early, rapid and on-site detection, rather than relying on extended laboratory-based analysis.

The meeting was marked by outstanding interactions across technologies, disciplines and career stages. Delegates shared inspiring presentations and engaged in lively discussions around state-of-the-art science and the practicalities of deployment. The collaborative environment stimulated creative thinking on how optical techniques could be harnessed for real-world impact in food safety.

There was an extraordinary display of early career researcher talent, making the task of identifying awardees for presentations very challenging. Out of the many possible candidates, the organisers awarded the best ECR presentations to Dr Charlotte Eling, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Strathclyde, and Lidia Barreira, PhD student at the Universidad de Compostela in Spain in recognition of their innovative work and excellent delivery.

Prof Katrina Campbell (Queen’s University Belfast)

Dr Ruchi Gupta (Birmingham University)

Dr Nicolas Laurand (Strathclyde University)