Blu-ray discs are great for watching movies, but the technology within them and the players that spin them has been harnessed for pathogen detection by a team of Spanish scientists. The Blu-ray discs had a layer of microarrays applied to their surface where antibody reactions and signal amplification takes place. The discs were then placed into a Blu-ray player, the laser of which was used to measure the optical properties of each node within the microarrays that correlated to a successful reaction or not.

The team tested the system for detection of Cronobacter sakazakii, a GI parasite, and Salmonella typhimurium. They report in journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics that the system provides “similar sensitivity as real-time quantitative PCR.” Because each node can run a unique test, the system provides the ability to screen large numbers of people rapidly and with essentially already existing technology.

source:Agenciasinc