Detection of bacteria by adsorption of luciferase and luciferin in paper discs

Abstract

There are numerous microbes in the air, soil, and water, which is one of the main cause of some respiratory diseases and external ailments in human and livestock. Therefore, the early detection and identification of microorganisms is a key factor to prevent the risks associated with microbial infections. In this study, paper discs (0.5 cm in diameter) was prepared with the adsorption of luciferase and luciferin and used to determine the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in bacteria. The repetition of sequential adsorption/drying of the reaction solution (luciferase and luciferin) on the paper discs was optimised. The storage stability of the paper discs was about one month at room temperature after the preparation. The paper discs adsorped with luciferase/luciferin could detect the ATP extracted from Escherichia coli (E. coli) as low as 1.17x103 CFU/ml. ATP evaluation using the paper discs for detection of bacteria may reduce the detection time to less than 5 min. The novel paper discs immobilized with luciferase and luciferin are valuable for the development of fast and sensitive sensors for early detection of microorganisms