A research team at Ben Gurion University in Israel led by Professor Raz Jelinek and Dr. Nitsan Shauloff are commercializing a novel detection system for bacteria. Sensifi, their start-up, uses an electrical capacitance-based artificial detection system to identify volatile organic compounds emitted by bacteria and fungi.  The electronic detectors are coated with nano-particles of carbon serve and the associated output is interpreted applying machine learning to identify specific potential pathogens including Salmonella and E. coli. 

Sensifi claims that the analytical system can differentiate among species and strains and can provide a result within an hour.  The technology allows real-time continuous monitoring of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria for quality control in packing and processing plants.  The system also has application in the fermentation and brewing industries where process control is critical to maintaining quality and output.