Lawrence D. Goodridge

Development of a paper-based analytical device for colorimetric detection of select foodborne pathogens.

Foodborne pathogens are a major public health threat and financial burden for the food industry, individuals, and society, with an estimated 76 million cases of food-related illness occurring in the United States alone each year. Three of the most important causative bacterial agents of foodborne diseases are pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli , Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes , due to the severity and frequency of illness and disproportionally high number of fatalities. Their continued persistence in food has dictated the ongoing need for faster, simpler, and less expensive analytical systems capable of live pathogen detection in complex samples. Culture techniques for detection and identification of foodborne pathogens require 5-7 days to complete. Major improvements to molecular detection techniques have been introduced recently, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These methods can be tedious; require complex, expensive instrumentation; necessitate highly trained personnel; and are not easily amenable to routine screening. Here, a paper-based analytical device (μPAD) has been developed for the detection of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes in food samples as a screening system. In this work, a paper-based microspot assay was created by use of wax printing on filter paper. Detection is achieved by measuring the color change when an enzyme associated with the pathogen of interest reacts with a chromogenic substrate. When combined with enrichment procedures, the method allows for an enrichment time of 12 h or less and is capable of detecting bacteria in concentrations in inoculated ready-to-eat (RTE) meat as low as 10(1) colony-forming units/cm(2).

The use of a fluorescent bacteriophage assay for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in inoculated ground beef and raw milk.

The objective of this study was to develop a fluorescent bacteriophage assay (FBA) for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and raw milk. The FBA is a two step assay that combines immunomagnetic separation, to separate the target organism from mixed culture, with a highly specific fluorescently stained bacteriophage to label the E. coli O157:H7 cells. When used in conjunction with flow cytometry, the FBA was able to detect 2.2 CFU/g of artificially contaminated ground beef following a 6 h enrichment. Between 10(1) and 10(2) CFU/ml of artificially contaminated raw milk were detectable after a 10 h enrichment step. The results show that the FBA is potentially useful as a rapid technique for the preliminary detection of E. coli O157:H7 in food.

Phage-based biocontrol strategies to reduce foodborne pathogens in foods

There has been much recent interest in the use of phages as biocontrol agents of foodborne pathogens in animals used for food production, and in the food products themselves. This interest seems to be driven by consumers’ request for more natural foods, as well as the fact that foodborne outbreaks continue to occur, globally, in many foods, some of which (such as fresh produce), lack adequate methods to control any pathogenic contamination present. Also, the many successes with respect to regulatory approval of phage based products destined for use in foods is leading to an increase in the number of phage products that are commercially available. At present, these products are directed against three main foodborne pathogens including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp and Listeria monocytogenes. In the future, it is likely that new phage products will be targeted against emerging foodborne pathogens. Here, we review the current literature and status of phage based strategies aimed at reducing the presence of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in food and the food production environment.

Designing Phage Therapeutics

Phage therapy is the application of phages to bodies, substances, or environments to effect the biocontrol of pathogenic or nuisance bacteria. To be effective, phages, minimally, must be capable of attaching to bacteria (adsorption), killing those bacteria (usually associated with phage infection), and otherwise surviving (resisting decay) until they achieve attachment and subsequent killing. While a strength of phage therapy is that phages that possess appropriate properties can be chosen from a large diversity of naturally occurring phages, a more rational approach to phage therapy also can include post-isolation manipulation of phages genetically, phenotypically, or in terms of combining different products into a single formulation. Genetic manipulation, especially in these modern times, can involve genetic engineering, though a more traditional approach involves the selection of spontaneously occurring phage mutants during serial transfer protocols. While genetic modification typically is done to give rise to phenotypic changes in phages, phage phenotype alone can also be modified in vitro, prior to phage application for therapeutic purposes, as for the sake of improving phage lethality (such as by linking phage virions to antibacterial chemicals such as chloramphenicol) or survival capabilities (e.g., via virion PEGylation). Finally, phages, both naturally occurring isolates or otherwise modified constructs, can be combined into cocktails which provide collectively enhanced capabilities such as expanded overall host range. Generally these strategies represent different routes towards improving phage therapy formulations and thereby efficacy through informed design.

Morphological, host range, and genetic characterization of two coliphages.

ABSTRACT Two coliphages, AR1 and LG1, were characterized based on their morphological, host range, and genetic properties. Transmission electron microscopy showed that both phages belonged to the Myoviridae; phage particles of LG1 were smaller than those of AR1 and had an isometric head 68 nm in diameter and a complex contractile tail 111 nm in length. Transmission electron micrographs of AR1 showed phage particles consisting of an elongated isometric head of 103 by 74 nm and a complex contractile tail 116 nm in length. Both phages were extensively tested on many strains of Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria. The results showed that both phages could infect many serotypes of E. coli. Among the enterobacteria, Proteus mirabilis, Shigella dysenteriae, and two Salmonella strains were lysed by the phages. The genetic material of AR1 and LG1 was characterized. Phage LG1 had a genome size of 49.5 kb compared to 150 kb for AR1. Restriction endonuclease analysis showed that several restriction enzymes could degrade DNA from both phages. The morphological, genome size, and restriction endonuclease similarities between AR1 and phage T4 were striking. Southern hybridizations showed that AR1 and T4 are genetically related. The wide host ranges of phages AR1 and LG1 suggest that they may be useful as biocontrol, therapeutic, or diagnostic agents to control and detect the prevalence of E. coli in animals and food.

Reporter bacteriophage assays as a means to detect foodborne pathogenic bacteria

Bacterial disease due to the consumption of contaminated food is a global problem that has necessitated the need for modern rapid bacterial detection techniques. There has been much recent interest in the use of reporter bacteriophages as a tool to aid in the detection of foodborne, and clinical bacterial pathogens. The reporter bacteriophage concept provides a sensitive method for bacterial detection and sensitivity to antimicrobial agents. This review presents the current status of reporter bacteriophage technology. The bacterial and eucaryotic luciferases, the ice nucleation protein, and the E. coli β-galactosidase reporter genes are discussed, along with many examples that demonstrate the usefulness of reporter bacteriophage as tools to detect foodborne bacterial contamination.

Predicting Salmonella populations from biological, chemical, and physical indicators in Florida surface waters

ABSTRACT Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and various physicochemical water characteristics have been suggested as indicators of microbial water quality or index organisms for pathogen populations. The relationship between the presence and/or concentration of Salmonella and biological, physical, or chemical indicators in Central Florida surface water samples over 12 consecutive months was explored. Samples were taken monthly for 12 months from 18 locations throughout Central Florida (n = 202). Air and water temperature, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, and conductivity were measured. Weather data were obtained from nearby weather stations. Aerobic plate counts and most probable numbers (MPN) for Salmonella, E. coli, and coliforms were performed. Weak linear relationships existed between biological indicators (E. coli/coliforms) and Salmonella levels (R 2 < 0.1) and between physicochemical indicators and Salmonella levels (R 2 < 0.1). The average rainfall (previous day, week, and month) before sampling did not correlate well with bacterial levels. Logistic regression analysis showed that E. coli concentration can predict the probability of enumerating selected Salmonella levels. The lack of good correlations between biological indicators and Salmonella levels and between physicochemical indicators and Salmonella levels shows that the relationship between pathogens and indicators is complex. However, Escherichia coli provides a reasonable way to predict Salmonella levels in Central Florida surface water through logistic regression.

Evaluation of three commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for detection of Shiga toxin.

Three commercially available Shiga toxin (Stx) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were evaluated for their ability to detect Stx in pure cultures of Stx-producing Escherichia coli (specificity). The detection limits (sensitivity) of each ELISA kit were also evaluated. Seventy-eight Stx-producing E. coli (STEC) isolates that produced Stx1, Stx2, or Stx1 and Stx2 variants were examined in this study. The specificities of the tests were comparable, and the sensitivities of two of the tests (Premier EHEC and rBiopharm Ridascreen Verotoxin Enzyme Immunoassay) were within the same order of magnitude. The ProSpecT Shiga Toxin E. coli Microplate Assay was approximately 10-fold less sensitive. The inability of all three tests to detect the Stx2d and Stx2e variants indicated that some STEC strains may not be detected by Stx ELISA. The ability of the Premier EHEC ELISA to detect toxin in artificially inoculated bovine fecal samples (following enrichment) indicated that this kit may be used to screen cattle for the presence of Stx as an indicator of the presence of STEC. In particular, such a screening method could be useful during the summer, when the number of STEC-positive animals and the number of STEC that they shed increase.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications of Lytic Phages

Abstract The ability of lytic phages to rapidly kill and lyse infected bacteria, the specificity of phages for particular bacteria, and the ability of phages to increase in number during the infection process make phages excellent potential diagnostic and therapeutic agents for fighting bacterial disease. However, temperate phages are of little use in phage diagnostics and therapy.

A framework for developing research protocols for evaluation of microbial hazards and controls during production that pertain to the quality of agricultural water contacting fresh produce that may be consumed raw

Agricultural water may contact fresh produce during irrigation and/or when crop protection sprays (e.g., cooling to prevent sunburn, frost protection, and agrochemical mixtures) are applied. This document provides a framework for designing research studies that would add to our understanding of preharvest microbial food safety hazards and control measures pertaining to agricultural water. Researchers will be able to use this document to design studies, to anticipate the scope and detail of data required, and to evaluate previously published work. This document should also be useful for evaluating the strength of existing data and thus should aid in identifying future research needs. Use of this document by the research community may lead to greater consistency or comparability than currently exists among research studies, which may ultimately facilitate direct comparison of hazards and efficacy of controls among different commodities, conditions, and practices.