“I’m very excited. This funding will allow us to accelerate our research on E. coli detection and to formally establish the interdisciplinary research team needed for the project’s success,” says Mats Eriksson. “It will also strengthen IFM’s contributions to several important collaborations in drinking water safety and civil security, while highlighting LiU’s strength in interdisciplinary research.”
The interdisciplinary initiative brings together three divisions from two separate departments at LiU, Sensor and Actuator Systems at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), and the Division for Molecular Medicine and Virology at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), combining expertise across biosensing, microbiology, and medical sciences.
The challenge of water safety
“The goal is to develop a rapid and highly sensitive method capable of detecting viable E. coli bacteria even at extremely low levels in complex water samples. A central component is the ability to preconcentrate and isolate bacteria before analyzing them using advanced flow cytometry techniques”, says Mats Eriksson.
The method integrates several steps, including automated filtration, immunomagnetic separation, and fluorescence-based detection. Together, these approaches aim to enable faster, more accurate identification of contamination.
Broad expertise and collaboration
The team includes Mats Eriksson at IFM and Lingyin Meng (biosensing and bioreceptors, IFM), Yasuhiko Irie (microbiology, IFM), and Jörgen Adolfsson (flow cytometry, BKV and head of the Flow Cytometry Core Facility).
The work also builds on and strengthens existing collaborations within major national initiatives such as DRICKS, Water Wise Societies, and Security Link, as well as contributing to LiU’s strategic life sciences profile area, Life Science Technologies (LSX).
Potential impact
In practical terms, earlier and more reliable detection of contamination could help water providers act faster and prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Beyond drinking water systems, the technology could also be used for monitoring bathing water and broader environmental surveillance. The approach is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, and the project includes plans for open sharing of methods and data to maximize impact.
