Label-free rapid identification of cooked meat using MIP-quantum weak measurement

Abstract

A label-free and rapid detection of cooked rat meat-based molecular-imprinted polymer (MIP) conjugated with quantum weak measurement system (QWM) has been developed. Cooked rat protein-specific MIP was prepared by a modified reverse-phase microemulsion method and coated on the internal surface of measuring channels assembled into Mach-Zrhnder interferometer of an optical weak measurement system. The measurement is based on the optical phase shift due to the refractive index change, which is induced by the specific capture of rat protein at its MIP sites. The results can be characterized and calculated by the central wavelength shift of output spectra through weak value amplification. This MIP-WQM system was demonstrated with cooked rat protein showing linear dynamic range from 0 to 20 µg/L. The limit of detection is calculated as 0.1 µg/L for cooked rat meat protein. The system also showed high specificity to cooked rat meat protein, compared to cooked pork meat proteins.

Keywords

• cooked meat
• quantum weak measurement
• molecular-imprinted polymers
• meat adulteration