Practical Detection of Food Borne Pathogens Utilizing Biochemically Stable Bacteriophage

The proposed program will isolate bacteriophage that demonstrate sensitivity and specificity for rapid detection of specific pathogens in foods. Current food pathogen test kits for E. coli and Salmonella that are antibody based require 18-24 hours to complete. Food processors need rapid test kits to optimize inventory management, reduce recalls and keep pace with government regulations. A preliminary, stable bacteriophage technique has been developed for a rapid and sensitive detection of Listeria in poultry and dairy products. Additional bacteriophage will be isolated and labeled to allow for the detection of food borne pathogen such as Listeria, Salmonella, Shigellae, E. coli, Campylobacter and Pseudomonas spp. The scope of this work is the extention of characterization and identification of bacteriophage with the intent of developing sensitive and rapid test kits. Preliminary results indicate that these reagents (functionalized bacteriophage) can be stable.