Location: Characterization and Interventions for Foodborne Pathogens
Project Number: 8072-42000-093-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2021
End Date: Apr 30, 2026
Objective:
To generate novel, rapid identification methods for the confirmation of pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Yersinia enterocolitica, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli or STEC) in various food matrices (e.g., ground or minced meats). These methods will be based on Purdue University licensed technology, BEAM (formerly -BActeria Rapid Detection using Optical Technology- BARDOT) that employs elastic laser light scattering for the discrimination of bacteria via analysis of colony morphology which may be applied to mixed cultures.
Approach:
Potentially injured bacterial pathogens will be “resuscitated” using novel or commercial preenrichment broths prior to mixed or selective culture enrichment. Enriched bacteria will be plated onto growth agar and bacterial colonies will be generated under reaction conditions (oxygen level, time, temperature, etc.) appropriate for the targeted bacteria. Once at minimal, predefined circumference, bacterial colonies will be subjected to laser light elastic scattering in a BEAM instrument. Algorithms based on artificial intelligence and machine learning (developed and improved by collaborators at Purdue University) will be applied to immediate identification of scanned colonies as compared to previously created scatter patterns comprised of known bacterial species, serotypes, and/or strains.
