'Firefly' chemical helps detect contamination in food

The Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time (BART), jointly invented by Cardiff University’s Prof Jim Murray and Dr Laurence Tisi of Cambridge-based Lumora, allows users to test rapidly and simply for food-poisoning bacteria.

According to a statement, Prof Murray and his partners at technology company Lumora hope to develop the system to test for other diseases, including HIV-AIDS.

The BART system is said to detect specific DNA sequences by producing a light signal, using a version of the enzyme luciferase, which also produces light in fireflies. The breakthrough allows for quick and easy molecular testing, which previously required complex laboratory hardware.

The first BART system has been created for food-safety testing. Samples are placed inside a simple device, which can then test for the DNA of common food pathogens. If present, the bacteria trigger the luciferase to produce light. The device can produce results in 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the number of organisms being tested for.