Researchers develop new graphene-based sensor for rapid detection of bacterial pathogens

A research group from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology and the Technical University of Denmark has shown that graphene can rapidly distinguish between types of bacteria. The team therefore set out to create extremely sensitive sensors, that can generate rapid signals upon bacterial colonization.​

The team developed a simple prototype sensor based on pristine, non-functionalized graphene. The detection principle is a change in electrical resistance of graphene upon exposure to bacterial cells. Without functionalization with specific receptors, such sensors cannot be expected to be selective to certain bacteria. However, the researchers demonstrated that two different bacterial species can be detected and differentiated by the new sensor due to their different growth dynamics, adherence pattern, density of adhered bacteria and microcolonies formation.