Technology For Detection Of Pathogens Research Articles

Immune Intervention in Sepsis.

Sepsis is a host immune disorder induced by infection. It can lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), which has high morbidity and mortality. There has been great progress in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, such as improvements in pathogen detection technology, innovations regarding anti-infection drugs, and the development of organ function support. Abnormal immune responses triggered by pathogens, ranging from excessive inflammation to immunosuppression, are recognized to be an important cause of the high mortality rate. However, no drugs have been approved specifically for treating sepsis. Here, we review the recent research progress on immune responses in sepsis to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of sepsis. Constructing and optimizing a dynamic immune system treatment regimen based on anti-infection treatment, fluid replacement, organ function support, and timely use of immunomodulatory interventions may improve the prognosis of sepsis patients.

Usability of Rapid Cholera Detection Device (OmniVis) for Water Quality Workers in Bangladesh: Iterative Convergent Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundCholera poses a significant global health burden. In Bangladesh, cholera is endemic and causes more than 100,000 cases each year. Established environmental reservoirs leave millions at risk of infection through the consumption of contaminated water. The Global Task Force for Cholera Control has called for increased environmental surveillance to detect contaminated water sources prior to human infection in an effort to reduce cases and deaths. The OmniVis rapid cholera detection device uses loop-mediated isothermal amplification and particle diffusometry detection methods integrated into a handheld hardware device that attaches to an iPhone 6 to identify and map contaminated water sources.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the usability of the OmniVis device with targeted end users to advance the iterative prototyping process and ultimately design a device that easily integrates into users’ workflow.MethodsWater quality workers were trained to use the device and subsequently completed an independent device trial and usability questionnaire. Pretraining and posttraining knowledge assessments were administered to ensure training quality did not confound trial and questionnaireResultsDevice trials identified common user errors and device malfunctions including incorrect test kit insertion and device powering issues. We did not observe meaningful differences in user errors or device malfunctions accumulated per participant across demographic groups. Over 25 trials, the mean time to complete a test was 47 minutes, a significant reduction compared with laboratory protocols, which take approximately 3 days. Overall, participants found the device easy to use and expressed confidence and comfort in using the device independently.ConclusionsThese results are used to advance the iterative prototyping process of the OmniVis rapid cholera detection device so it can achieve user uptake, workflow integration, and scale to ultimately impact cholera control and elimination strategies. We hope this methodology will promote robust usability evaluations of rapid pathogen detection technologies in device development.

Evaluation of anhydrous processing and storage methods of the temperate bacteriophage ɸV10 for integration into foodborne pathogen detection methodologies.

Due to the nascency of bacteriophage-based pathogen detection technologies, several practical hurdles stand in the way between providing promising proof-of-concept data and development of robust detection platforms. One such hurdle, and the focus of this work, is the development of methods for transitioning laboratory stocks of bacteriophage into functional, consistent, and shelf-stable delivery methods in commercial detection kits. Research described here was undertaken to evaluate two methods for their ability to store the bacteriophage ɸV10 at ambient temperature without aqueous storage solutions while limiting loss of viability. ɸV10 is a temperate bacteriophage which solely infects the zero-tolerance food adulterant Escherichia coli O157:H7 and has been genetically modified to generate a detectable phenotype in host cells. In order to integrate this reporter bacteriophage into food-borne pathogen detection methodologies, two methods of processing phage suspensions for long-term, ambient storage were evaluated: printing solutions onto pieces of dissolvable paper and lyophilizing suspensions with sucrose. Applying phage to dissolvable paper yielded key attributes to consider when addressing phage viability, however, optimized methodology still resulted in an approximate five-log reduction in titer of viable phage. Lyophilization of ɸV10 with various concentrations of the cryoprotectant molecule, sucrose, yielded losses of approximately 0.3-log after 120 days of storage at 23°C. Liquid storage buffer samples with and without sucrose saw a reduction of viable phage of at least 3.9-log in the same period. Additionally, the ability for ɸV10 to form lysogens in an E. coli O157:H7 host was not negatively affected by lyophilization. Drying ɸV10 at ambient temperature drastically reduces the viability of the phage. However, lyophilizing ɸV10 in the presence of sucrose is an effective method for dehydration and storage of the phage in ambient environmental conditions for an extended time lending to commercial application and integration into foodborne pathogen detection methodologies.

Clinical application of rapid pathogen detection technologies for detecting influenza A virus

Clinical application of rapid pathogen detection technologies for detecting influenza A virus

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology for detection of pathogens in blood of critically ill patients

ObjectiveTo explore the applicability of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology for the detection of blood pathogens in intensive care unit patients. MethodsThe clinical data of 63 critically ill patients who could not be diagnosed with blood culture (BC) and who underwent mNGS blood sample testing were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy of mNGS was compared with that of traditional detection methods; the distribution of the pathogens identified by mNGS was analyzed; and the differences in laboratory tests, comorbidities, treatment, and prognosis between the mNGS-positive and mNGS-negative groups were compared. ResultsThe positive rate of mNGS was 41.3% (26/63), and 16 patients were found to have mixed infections. However, the positive rate of BCs performed simultaneously with mNGS was only 7.9% (5/63). The results of univariate analysis showed that the average length of intensive care unit stay (β, −8.689 [95% CI, −16.176, −1.202]; P = 0.026) and the time from onset to sequencing (β, −5.816 [95% CI,−9.936, −1.696]; P = 0.007) of the mNGS-positive group were significantly shorter than those of the mNGS-negative group. More patients in the positive group were adjusted for anti-infective treatment after mNGS (OR, 3.789 [95% CI,1.176, 12.211]; P < 0.001). ConclusionsDetection of blood pathogens by mNGS has good applicability for critically ill patients who cannot be diagnosed by BC in the early stages of infection, and mNGS should be performed as early as possible to obtain higher pathogen detection rates.

Detecting national human enteric disease outbreaks linked to animal contact in the United States of America.

Enteric pathogens, such as non-typhoidal Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli, can reside in the intestinal tract of many animals, including livestock, companion animals, small mammals and reptiles. Often, these animals can appear healthy; nonetheless, humans can become infected after direct or indirect contact, resulting in a substantial illness burden. An estimated 14% of the 3.2 million illnesses that occur in the United States of America (USA) each year from such enteric pathogens are attributable to animal contact. Surveillance for enteric pathogens in the USA includes the compilation and interpretation of both laboratory and epidemiologic data. However, the authors feel that a collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary - or One Health - approach is needed for data collection and analysis, at every level. In addition, they suggest that the future of enteric illness surveillance lies in the development of improved technologies for pathogen detection and characterisation, such as genomic sequencing and metagenomics. In particular, using whole-genome sequencing to compare genetic sequences of enteric pathogens from humans, food, animals and the environment, can help to predict antimicrobial resistance among these pathogens, determine their genetic relatedness and identify outbreaks linked to a common source. In this paper, the authors describe three recent, multi-state human enteric illness outbreaks linked to animal contact in the USA and discuss how integrated disease surveillance was essential to outbreak detection and response. Additional datasharing between public health and animal health laboratories and epidemiologists at the local, national, regional and international level may help to improve surveillance for emerging animal and human health threats and lead to new opportunities for prevention.

Validity of a single antibody-based lateral flow immunoassay depending on graphene oxide for highly sensitive determination of E. coli O157:H7 in minced beef and river water

Considering the health risks of E. coli O157:H7 presence in food and water, an affordable and highly sensitive detection method is crucial. Herein, we report the first use of a single antibody-based fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (FLFIA) depending on non-radiative energy transfer between graphene oxide and quantum dots for determination of E. coli O157:H7 in beef and river water. FLFIA showed a high sensitivity rate thousand-fold better than the conventional lateral flow (LF). In inoculated minced beef and river water samples, the limits of detection were 178 and 133 CFU g−1 or mL−1, respectively. Besides, it presented a high selectivity in the presence of other possible interfering bacteria. The single antibody approach reduced the assay cost to 60% less than the conventional LF. Alongside, the results could be read by portable LF readers or smartphones. These advantages offer FLFIA as a promising technology for pathogen detection in food and water.

C-reactive protein and other biomarkers—the sense and non-sense of using inflammation biomarkers for the diagnosis of severe bacterial infection

Severe bacterial infection (SBI) poses a significant clinical problem as its mortality and morbidity is still unacceptably high. A systematic literature analysis was performed with an emphasis on recent meta analyses examining the specificity and sensitivity of conventional inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, interleukin-8) for diagnosing SBI. Most inflammation biomarkers do not show high sensitivity and are of limited value regarding SBI detection. To the practicing clinician, the sole use of inflammation markers is not useful for differentiating between viral or bacterial origin of infection in an individual patient. Thus, only in combination with clinical biometric markers, taken from patient history and physical examination, is the analysis of inflammation biomarkers to some degree helpful in clinical practice. To date, their sensitivity and specificity have been best captured in the field of neonatology, where levels of interleukin-6 have been measured in combination with relevant perinatal factors. The indiscriminate use of inflammation biomarkers for the diagnosis of SBI may lead to over diagnosis. Novel technologies for pathogen detection and more precise measurement of the host-response using microarrays, allowing for simultaneous detection of multiple genes or proteins, promise to improve the value of laboratory biomarkers for the diagnosis of SBI.Statement of novelty: Presented here is an up-to-date systematic analysis of C-reactive protein and inflammation biomarkers with regard to their use in the diagnosis of SBI. I question whether a broad use of C-reactive protein is useful in patients presenting with infection. The results of the systematic analysis are put into context with recent concerns about over-diagnosing in medicine. This paper is adapted from a publication in the German journal Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde.

Application of isothermal amplification technology for pathogen detection in parasitic and other diseases

The in vitro nucleic acid amplification technique based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been successfully applied to scientific researches. In recent years, the emergence of isothermal amplification technology is increasingly applied in the molecular diagnosis and disease detection because of its advantages of constant temperature, high efficiency, short time-consuming, and less reliance on equipment and instruments. The principle, characteristics and application of the partial isothermal amplification technique in the pathogen detection in parasitic and other diseases are reviewed in this paper, and the prospects of the wide development of the technique are also discussed.

Enterohaemorrhagic and other Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC): Where are we now regarding diagnostics and control strategies?

Escherichia coli comprises a highly diverse group of Gram-negative bacteria and is a common member of the intestinal microflora of humans and animals. Generally, such colonization is asymptomatic; however, some E.coli strains have evolved to become pathogenic and thus cause clinical disease in susceptible hosts. One pathotype, the Shiga toxigenic E.coli (STEC) comprising strains expressing a Shiga-like toxin is an important foodborne pathogen. A subset of STEC are the enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC), which can cause serious human disease, including haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The diagnosis of EHEC infections and the surveillance of STEC in the food chain and the environment require accurate, cost-effective and timely tests. In this review, we describe and evaluate tests now in routine use, as well as upcoming test technologies for pathogen detection, including loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We have considered the need for improved diagnostic tools in current strategies for the control and prevention of these pathogens in humans, the food chain and the environment. We conclude that although significant progress has been made, STEC still remains an important zoonotic issue worldwide. Substantial reductions in the public health burden due to this infection will require a multipronged approach, including ongoing surveillance with high-resolution diagnostic techniques currently being developed and integrated into the routine investigations of public health laboratories. However, additional research requirements may be needed before such high-resolution diagnostic tools can be used to enable the development of appropriate interventions, such as vaccines and decontamination strategies.

From green technology development to green innovation: inducing regulatory adoption of pathogen detection technology for sustainable forestry

Technological entrepreneurship has been widely acknowledged as a key driver of modern industrial economies, and more recently, a panacea for environmental and social problems. However, our current understanding of how green-technology ventures emerge and diffuse more sustainable innovations remains limited. We advance theory on green entrepreneurship by drawing on institutional work to refine and extend our understanding of how entrepreneurs may influence government policies and practices in their attempts to diffuse green technology. We develop a theoretical framework that combines institutional work with a search tool, the technological, commercial, organizational, and societal (TCOS) framework of innovative uncertainties, which identifies key opportunities, hurdles, and potential unintended consequences at early stages of technology development. We present a detailed case study of a potential university-based green-tech venture developing pathogen detection technology for forestry protection. Foreign pathogens spread by international trade can have major detrimental impacts on forests and the industries that rely on them. Our analysis found that green technology demonstrating technological feasibility is necessary but not sufficient; green-tech ventures must also engage in institutional work, in this case, articulating the technology’s benefits to regulators to establish legitimacy and avoid misuse that can hinder its adoption. We thus add to previous studies by emphasizing that institutional work could be a main activity for a green-tech venture, a core entrepreneurial strategy rather than an afterthought.

La puce à ADN de reséquençage : un outil rapide pour mieux identifier et comprendre une émergence virale etbactérienne

The introduction of microarray technologies in microbiology has transformed the detection and characterization of microbial pathogens. Microarray-based platforms can be classified into different families according to their characteristics and applications. Resequencing microarrays have several advantages over other technologies for pathogen detection and characterization.

Bacteriophage tail-spike protein derivitized microresonator arrays for specific detection of pathogenic bacteria

Increasing concerns about food safety have prompted strong interest in the development of new pathogen detection technologies. The currently used techniques usually rely on specially equipped laboratories and are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Microresonator-based biosensors incorporating specific biorecognition probes are promising for the development of highly sensitive bacterial detection sensors. We present an optimized microresonator array platform that uses phage tail-spike proteins as a recognition probe. This array is composed of one thousand beams in a small area (i.e. 13.5mm2 area) and therefore offers large surface area for capture of bacteria. These resonators feature a high natural frequency due to the optimized beam design, with the first resonance frequency at f0=1.095±0.005MHz. Theoretical analysis of these devices indicates a high mass sensitivity with a threshold for the detection of added mass as small as δm=52fg (lighter than a single bacterial cell). FEA and the experimental results show that the frequency shift is mainly due to the mass loading effect of adsorbed bacteria. We have successfully demonstrated the application of these arrays for specific detection of Campylobacter jejuni cells after immobilization of devices with phage GST-Gp48 tail-spike proteins. TSP-functionalized devices did not show any sensitivity to Escherichia coli bacteria confirming the specificity of detection.

Leapfrog diagnostics: Demonstration of a broad spectrum pathogen identification platform in a resource-limited setting

BackgroundResource-limited tropical countries are home to numerous infectious pathogens of both human and zoonotic origin. A capability for early detection to allow rapid outbreak containment and prevent spread to non-endemic regions is severely impaired by inadequate diagnostic laboratory capacity, the absence of a “cold chain” and the lack of highly trained personnel. Building up detection capacity in these countries by direct replication of the systems existing in developed countries is not a feasible approach and instead requires “leapfrogging” to the deployment of the newest diagnostic systems that do not have the infrastructure requirements of systems used in developed countries.MethodsA laboratory for molecular diagnostics of infectious agents was established in Bo, Sierra Leone with a hybrid solar/diesel/battery system to ensure stable power supply and a satellite modem to enable efficient communication. An array of room temperature stabilization and refrigeration technologies for reliable transport and storage of reagents and biological samples were also tested to ensure sustainable laboratory supplies for diagnostic assays.ResultsThe laboratory demonstrated its operational proficiency by conducting an investigation of a suspected avian influenza outbreak at a commercial poultry farm at Bo using broad range resequencing microarrays and real time RT-PCR. The results of the investigation excluded influenza viruses as a possible cause of the outbreak and indicated a link between the outbreak and the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that by application of a carefully selected set of technologies and sufficient personnel training, it is feasible to deploy and effectively use a broad-range infectious pathogen detection technology in a severely resource-limited setting.

Identification of yeast in chronic wounds using new pathogen-detection technologies

To evaluate the ability of two new diagnostic methods to detect and accurately identify yeast associated with chronic wound infections. Fungal tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (fTEFAP), a universal fungal identification method, bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP), a universal bacterial identification method, and a new quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) wound pathogen panel were used to evaluate three chronic wounds suspected to contain yeast. Forty wound samples were analysed in addition to the three samples suspected of containing yeast. The qPCR panel, which targets Candida albicans, detected this yeast in two of the three wound samples. In contrast, fTEFAP detected yeast in each of the three samples: two showed Candida albicans and the third Candida parapsilosis. fTEFAP also identified a lower level of Candida tropicalis in one of the wounds that was positive for Candida albicans. The qPCR wound panel results were returned within two hours, while the fTEFAP results were returned within 24 hours. Two new molecular methods have been developed to aid wound pathogen diagnostics. The quantitative PCR wound panel is rapid but is limited to major wound-associated bacteria and yeasts. The universal fTEFAP and bTEFAP methods take 24 hours to return results but are able to detect the relative contribution of any bacteria of yeast in a chronic wound diagnostic sample. Southwest Regional Wound Care Center is a clinical wound-care provider seeking to improve the ability of wound care practitioners to help patients. The Research and Testing Laboratory develops molecular methods including fTEFAP, bTEFAP and the quantitative PCR wound panel.

Detection of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 by a hybrid microfluidic SPR and molecular imaging cytometry device

Current methods to screen for bacterial contamination involve using costly reagents such as antibodies or PCR reagents or time-costly growth in cultures. There is need for portable, real-time, multiplex pathogen detection technology that can predict the safety of food. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging is a sensitive, label-free method that can detect the binding of an analyte to a surface by the changes in refractive index that occur upon binding. We have designed a hybrid microfluidic biochip to perform multiplexed detection of single-celled pathogens using a combination of SPR and fluorescence imaging. The device consists of an array of gold spots, each functionalized with a capture biomolecule targeting a specific pathogen. This biosensor array is enclosed by a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic flow chamber that delivers a magnetically concentrated sample to be tested. The sample is imaged by SPR on the bottom of the biochip and epi-fluorescence on the top. The prototype instrument was successfully able to image antibody-captured E. coli O157:H7 bacteria by SPR and fluorescence imaging. The efficiency of capture of these bacteria by the magnetic particles was determined using spectrophotometric ferric oxide absorbance measurements. The binding of the E. coli to each spot was quantified by measuring the percent of the gold spot area upon which the bacteria was bound and analyzed using NIH ImageJ software. This hybrid imaging approach of pathogenic E. coli detection coupled with an estimate of relative infectivity is shown to be a working example of a testing device for potential foodborne pathogens.

Microarrays

BioTechniquesVol. 44, No. 6 NIH Grant WatchOpen AccessNIH Grant WatchB. Perry & D. McCormickB. PerrySearch for more papers by this author & D. McCormickSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:16 May 2018https://doi.org/10.2144/000112854AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail MicroarraysOnce again, BioTechniques and NIH Sales have reviewed National Institutes of Health grant records to discover how investigators are deploying research technology. This month, we reviewed 2385 grants employing microarray technology. These research projects won $948.4 million in grant support, from a high of $9.8 million to three grants listed at $1 each (perhaps an error), or as little as $2,339. The National Cancer Institute led the field in supporting microarray-based research, funding 21.3% of the total, followed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (13.2%), and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (11.2%). Featured here are some of the projects that received the highest levels of support.Pacific-Southwest Center for Biodefense & Emerging Infectious Diseases $9,805,034.005U54AI065359-03, NIAID, Alan G. Barbour (University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA)Goal: To create a collaborative and synergistic consortium of investigators at several public and private institutions in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada that will: 1) conduct outstanding multidisciplinary research on emerging infectious diseases important to defense or public health; 2) disseminate research findings and reagents; 3) rapidly translate research into products and applications to detect, monitor, prevent, and treat infections; 3) provide opportunities for new investigators to enter the field; and 4) provide on-call preparedness to respond to infectious-disease emergencies. The center will support program projects in anthrax vaccines, arboviruses, arenaviruses, botulinum toxin, Burkholderia, hantaviruses, plague, and tularemia, with core facilities in animal models, clinical trials, mass spectroscopy and proteomics, DNA microarrays, new technologies for pathogen detection, and genome-wide protein arrays.Inflammation and the Host Response to Injury $7,963,235.005U54GM062119-07, NIGMS, Ronald Gary Tompkins (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA)Goal: To improve systems-level understanding of the key regulatory elements directing host response to serious injury, leading to novel genomic and proteomic markers to predict outcome, new avenues for basic and clinical research, and targets for immunomodulatory interventions. The program will employ multiple high-throughput analytical tools including microarray and comparative, quantitative proteomics coupled with novel macroscale and microfluidics cell separation methodologies and bioinformatics approaches (including knowledge-based pathway analysis). The specific aims are: 1) to determine genome-wide expression and the cellular proteome from well-defined cellular subpopulations of circulating leukocytes from hospitalized patients following severe trauma and burn injuries; 2) to identify patterns of gene expression and proteomic responses to innate inflammatory response associated with different clinical trajectories and outcomes; and 3) to use a systems biology approach to discover new biological knowledge based on total cellular proteomics and genomics data obtained from the cellular subpopulations.Functional Genomics and Technology $7,891,904.005P01HG000205-18, NHGRI, Ronald W. Davis (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA)Goal: To apply new technology to unanswered questions in genomics and proteomics, specifically those relating to unmet medical needs. The program will establish an Affymetrix High Throughput Microarray facility to automate all crucial steps of the process from sample handling through data analysis, processing samples from diverse sources, including blood. The program will greatly extend its molecular barcode technology to highly multiplexed quantitation of expression, DNA content and methylation, alternative splicing, SNPs, mutation detection, and pathogen detection as single tubes assays read simultaneously on a single microarray at an enormous cost reduction that could revolutionize clinical medicine. After establishing robust protocols for these studies, the program will develop new technologies to drive the next generation of genetic, genomic, and molecular analyses of model organisms and clinical samples, focusing on completeness and accuracy, throughput, minimal user intervention, portability, and decreased cost. The goal is to reduce costs by 10- to 1000-fold for each technology, including 1) reusable magnetic microarrays, 2) charge perturbation signature devices, 3) portable multiplexed CMOS detectors, 4) microfluidic instruments for pathogen typing, and 5) a novel nanobiosensor for single-molecule detection of metabolites.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 44, No. 6 Follow us on social media for the latest updates Metrics History Published online 16 May 2018 Published in print May 2008 Information© 2008 Author(s)PDF download

Nucleic Acid-Based Pathogen Detection in Applied Plant Pathology.

Nucleic acid–based (NA-based) detection techniques are becoming fundamental for the applied plant pathologist. Their speed, sensitivity, specificity, versatility have resulted in the use of these tools to address an increasing number of applied questions and hypotheses. In order to use based detection techniques to best advantage, it is important to recognize only their advantages but also their limitations, such as the possibility particular NA-based tests may not have complete specificity for the of interest and only for that organism. The distinction between detection and disease diagnosis must also be recognized, and we believe NA-based tools are techniques for the former and not the latter. Several pathogen detection technologies are also discussed.

Improvement of Immunomagnetic Separation for Escherichia coli O157:H7 Detection by the PickPen Magnetic Particle Separation Device

Conventional immunomagnetic separation (IMS) procedures, which use an external magnetic source to capture magnetic particles against the side of a test tube, are labor-intensive and can have poor sensitivity for the target organism because of high background microflora that is not effectively washed away during the IMS process. This report compares the conventional IMS procedure to a new IMS procedure with an intrasolution magnetic particle transfer device, the PickPen. The IMS target for the majority of these studies is Escherichia coli O157:H7 in various types of samples, including cattle feces, hides, carcasses, and ground beef. Comparison of the two IMS methods showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the efficiency of detecting E. coli O157:H7 from cattle carcass surface, cattle hide, and cattle fecal samples. No significant improvement (P > 0.05) in E. coli O157:H7 detection was observed when the PickPen IMS procedure was used to isolate this pathogen from ground beef samples. Use of the PickPen IMS greatly increases the throughput of the IMS procedure and may be more compatible with various emerging technologies for pathogen detection. In addition, the efficacy of sequential IMS for multiple pathogens is reported herein.

Mass spectrometry‐based proteomics for the detection of plant pathogens

Plant diseases caused by fungi, oomycetes, viruses, and bacteria are devastating both to the economy and to the food supply of a nation. Therefore, the development of new, rapid methods to identify these pathogens is a highly important area of research that is of international concern. MS-based proteomics has become a powerful and increasingly popular approach to not only identify these pathogens, but also to better understand their biology. However, there is a distinction between identifying a pathogen protein and identifying a pathogen based upon the detection of one of its proteins and this must be considered before the general application of MS for plant pathogen detection is made. There has been a recent push in the proteomics community to make data from large-scale proteomics experiments publicly available in the form of a centralized repository. Such a resource could enable the use of MS as a universal plant pathogen detection technology.