VISUAL METHOD FOR RAPID DETECTION OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS

A NEED EXISTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW COST, RAPID IDENTIFICATION/MONITORING TEST KIT FOR POTENTIAL PATHOGENS IN FOOD PRODUCTS. A MAJOR INNOVATION WOULD INCREASE THE SCREENING OF DISEASE ORGANISMS WHILE MONITORING POTENTIAL PATHOGENS IN FOOD. THE PROPOSED RAPID EIA-BASED DIAGNOSTIC TEST KIT IS LIGHT-WEIGHT, EASY TO USE, ECONOMICAL AND CAN BEADAPTED TO A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS AND SPECIMENS. THIS SYSTEM, BASED ON A COMPETITIVE ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FORMAT, ISDESIGNED FOR USE IN THE FIELD TO YIELD A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE READOUT IN TEN MINUTES OR LESS. THE MODEL ORGANISMIS E.COLI FROM MEAT PRODUCTS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS RESEARCH EFFORT ARE TO: 1) PREPARE AND CHARACTERIZE SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND ANTIGENS, 2) CONJUGATE ANTIGEN-BEADSAND ENZYME-ANTIBODIES, 3) PRODUCE PROTOTYPE UNITS, AND 4) DEMONSTRATE PRELIMINARY CAPABILITIES OF THE ASSAY FOR DETECTING E.COLI IN FOOD SAMPLES. IN PHASE I, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE KIT UTILIZING ENZYME TECHNOLOGIES, A COMPONENT VESSEL WITH SEPARATION MEMBRANE AND IMMOBILIZED REAGENTS, ALL WHICH PRODUCE AN INSOLUBLE READOUT SIGNAL. THE READILY DISCERNABLE "YES/NO" ANSWER AND UNAMBIGUOUS INTERPRETATION ARE ADVANTAGES OVER CURRENT PROCEDURES. THE VESSEL WILL ELIMINATE SPECIMEN HANDLING PROBLEMS AND BIOHAZARDS FROM SAMPLE PROCESSING. THIS EIA KIT WILL PROVIDE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN RAPID IDENTIFICATION/MONITORING OF MICROBES OR TOXINS IN FOOD PRODUCTS. THE SIMPLICITY, ECONOMY AND PORTABILITY WILL PROMOTE THE USE OF THIS TYPE OF RAPID MONITORING KIT FOR USEIN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS (I.E., USDA INSPECTION LABS, INDUSTRIAL FOOD PLANTS AND FIELD APPLICATIONS). THE DESIGN OF THE TEST SYSTEM WILL ALLOW ADAPTABILITY TO A VARIETY OF FOOD PRODUCTS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THROUGH ITS VARIOUS TESTING AGENCIES, WOULD PROVIDE A VIABLE MARKET FOR THE TESTSYSTEM.