Faster PCR methods, better culture methods, more selective enrichment methods and quantitative biosensor methods all have advance the field of rapid pathogen testing recently. Speed and sensitivity are two areas researchers are targeting, says Loreen Stromberg, a postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University in Ames and chief executive officer and co-founder of NanoSpy Inc.
Stromberg and Carmen Gomes, associate professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University and co-founder of NanoSpy, specialize in development and testing of biosensors for detecting foodborne pathogens in food-processing plants. The rapid test can return results in 20 to 30 minutes, versus the 24 to 48 hours necessary for enrichment-dependent methods.