September 3, 2008
NEW YORK – Pall said today that it has acquired French molecular diagnostics firm GeneSystems for an undisclosed sum.
Bruz, France-based GeneSystems has developed a real-time PCR-based molecular diagnostics platform for rapid microbial detection. The firm offers tests for a range of pathogens including Legionella and E. coli.
Pall said the acquisition will expand its Total Fluid Management capabilities in the biopharmaceutical process monitoring market, which it estimated to be worth $1 billion. The East Hills, NY-based firm said that it also would provide it with new opportunities in the environmental, food and beverage, and water markets.
Source: Genome Web News
Showing posts with label e. coli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label e. coli. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
DuPont, USDA ARS to collaborate on new E. coli test in beef
DuPont and the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are teaming up to find new ways to detect an E. coli strain in beef that, even in low concentrations, can cause severe illness.
Through a cooperative research and development agreement, the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) at Clay Center, Neb., and DuPont Qualicon will develop a new test for E. coli 0157:H7, a pathogen that led to more than 30 million pounds of ground beef being recalled in 2007.
“Our mission is to develop scientific information and new technology to solve high priority problems for the U.S. beef, sheep and swine industries,” Mohammad Koohmaraie, USMARC director, said. “In the case of E. coli O157:H7 detection, we're looking at collaborative ways to quickly develop a new test.”
“We are committed to providing the meat industry with testing applications that use the best science available. This agreement allows us to work with experts from the USDA ARS toward our common goal of an E. coli O157:H7 test that is even faster, more accurate and more efficient,” Kevin Huttman, president,DuPont Qualicon, said.
E. coli O157:H7 is a food borne pathogen usually associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef. Even in low concentrations, it can cause severe illness, sometimes leading to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and kidney failure in at-risk populations.
After several years of declining incidence, 2007 saw a resurgence with more than 30 million pounds of ground beef recalled due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
The DuPont Qualicon BAX system is currently used by food companies and governments around the world to reliably detect pathogens in food, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and more.
Through a cooperative research and development agreement, the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) at Clay Center, Neb., and DuPont Qualicon will develop a new test for E. coli 0157:H7, a pathogen that led to more than 30 million pounds of ground beef being recalled in 2007.
“Our mission is to develop scientific information and new technology to solve high priority problems for the U.S. beef, sheep and swine industries,” Mohammad Koohmaraie, USMARC director, said. “In the case of E. coli O157:H7 detection, we're looking at collaborative ways to quickly develop a new test.”
“We are committed to providing the meat industry with testing applications that use the best science available. This agreement allows us to work with experts from the USDA ARS toward our common goal of an E. coli O157:H7 test that is even faster, more accurate and more efficient,” Kevin Huttman, president,DuPont Qualicon, said.
E. coli O157:H7 is a food borne pathogen usually associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef. Even in low concentrations, it can cause severe illness, sometimes leading to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and kidney failure in at-risk populations.
After several years of declining incidence, 2007 saw a resurgence with more than 30 million pounds of ground beef recalled due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
The DuPont Qualicon BAX system is currently used by food companies and governments around the world to reliably detect pathogens in food, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and more.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Drexel Researcher Develops Sensor to Test for E. coli in 10 Minutes
The latest outbreak of E. coli cases — now in 12 Western states and involving 6 million pounds of fresh and frozen meat — shows a need for better detection in food processing exists.
Dr. Raj Mutharasan, a professor of chemical engineering at Drexel University, has developed over the past five years sensor technology that can test for E. coli bacteria in just 10 minutes. He is working with a company that has licensed Drexel’s technology to commercialize the device and expects it to be in the hands of food-safety experts soon.
The sensor could also have wide applications in medical diagnostic testing (prostate cancer) and monitoring for biothreat agents (anthrax). In medical testing, the sensor can be used to analyze the four most widely tested fluids: blood, urine, sputum and spinal fluid.
The standard detection process of E. coli bacteria in food processing requires about 24 hours and involves a trip to a laboratory. Mutharasan’s sensor can be contained in a handheld device that is accurate and easy to use.
No direct test for minute amounts of proteins exists on the market. A study published in the April 1, 2007, issue of Analytical Chemistry using Mutharasan’s sensor detected E. coli in ground beef at some of the lowest concentrations ever reported.
Unlike salmonella, for example, no Food and Drug Admistration requirement to test food for E. coli exists. Requirements are in place, however, to ensure proper food-manufacturing practices are met to help avoid contamination, says Dr. Stanley Segall, Drexel professor emeritus of food science and nutrition.
E. coli outbreaks have increased in recent years because reporting systems have been more efficient and effective and food production has become more centralized, with distribution spanning the country in rapid time frames, Segall says.
The near-prototype sensor Mutharasan has developed contains a sensitivity of four cells per milliliter of solution. The sensor uses E. coli antibodies to detect the bacteria in a way similar to how our bodies work. Those antibodies are affixed to a narrow sliver of glass. A ceramic layer, attached to the other end of the glass, generates voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
The sensor affixed with antibodies against E. coli can detect as low as four cells per milliliter of solution. A voltage is applied to a ceramic layer, causing it to expand and contract, vibrating the glass sliver. The sensor detects changes in the glass sliver’s resonate frequency (the point where vibration is the greatest) and determines the presence and concentration of E. coli bacteria.
Because the same principles of resonate frequency apply, the sensor can test liquid and solid samples. The sensor can be equipped with a range of antibodies to detect many pathogens or it can be homozygous with a single antibody, enabling the sensor to detect even the smallest amounts of the harmful bacteria.
Source: Drexel University
Dr. Raj Mutharasan, a professor of chemical engineering at Drexel University, has developed over the past five years sensor technology that can test for E. coli bacteria in just 10 minutes. He is working with a company that has licensed Drexel’s technology to commercialize the device and expects it to be in the hands of food-safety experts soon.
The sensor could also have wide applications in medical diagnostic testing (prostate cancer) and monitoring for biothreat agents (anthrax). In medical testing, the sensor can be used to analyze the four most widely tested fluids: blood, urine, sputum and spinal fluid.
The standard detection process of E. coli bacteria in food processing requires about 24 hours and involves a trip to a laboratory. Mutharasan’s sensor can be contained in a handheld device that is accurate and easy to use.
No direct test for minute amounts of proteins exists on the market. A study published in the April 1, 2007, issue of Analytical Chemistry using Mutharasan’s sensor detected E. coli in ground beef at some of the lowest concentrations ever reported.
Unlike salmonella, for example, no Food and Drug Admistration requirement to test food for E. coli exists. Requirements are in place, however, to ensure proper food-manufacturing practices are met to help avoid contamination, says Dr. Stanley Segall, Drexel professor emeritus of food science and nutrition.
E. coli outbreaks have increased in recent years because reporting systems have been more efficient and effective and food production has become more centralized, with distribution spanning the country in rapid time frames, Segall says.
The near-prototype sensor Mutharasan has developed contains a sensitivity of four cells per milliliter of solution. The sensor uses E. coli antibodies to detect the bacteria in a way similar to how our bodies work. Those antibodies are affixed to a narrow sliver of glass. A ceramic layer, attached to the other end of the glass, generates voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
The sensor affixed with antibodies against E. coli can detect as low as four cells per milliliter of solution. A voltage is applied to a ceramic layer, causing it to expand and contract, vibrating the glass sliver. The sensor detects changes in the glass sliver’s resonate frequency (the point where vibration is the greatest) and determines the presence and concentration of E. coli bacteria.
Because the same principles of resonate frequency apply, the sensor can test liquid and solid samples. The sensor can be equipped with a range of antibodies to detect many pathogens or it can be homozygous with a single antibody, enabling the sensor to detect even the smallest amounts of the harmful bacteria.
Source: Drexel University
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