Research Publications (Food Safety)

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium that is an important foodborne bacterial pathogen for humans worldwide, with high mortality rates. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a Listeria monocytogenes strain that was isolated from kale salad in Canada.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Clostridium botulinum strain CDC76130, which harbors a rare botulinum toxin gene (bont) complex arrangement of bont/A5 and truncated bont/B2 within the same ha toxin gene cluster.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Serratia marcescens SSA1 was isolated from a dump site with a history of incineration. Its DNA of 5.05 Mbp has a GC content of 59.65%, with 77 tRNA genes and 3 rRNA genes. Its 4,909 putative PATRIC protein-coding genes include genes responsible for the degradation of dioxins and other xenobiotics and total consumption of benzoate.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Staphylococcus arlettae is commonly found on the skin of animals. Here, we describe the complete genome sequence of S. arlettae AHKW2e (2,649,260 bp; GC content, 33.6%), isolated from a dog’s paws in Hong Kong, established through hybrid assembly and representing the second complete genome sequence of this species.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Ahead of Print. We investigated the performance of the Xpert methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)/S. aureus skin and soft tissue (SSTI) quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay in SAATELLITE, a multicenter, double-blind, phase 2 study of suvratoxumab, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) targeting S. aureus alpha-toxin, for reducing the incidence of S. aureus pneumonia.

Journal of Bacteriology, Ahead of Print. The symbiont Vibrio fischeri uses motility to colonize its host. In numerous bacterial species, motility is negatively controlled by cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP), which is produced by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) with GGDEF domains and degraded by phosphodiesterases with either EAL or HD-GYP domains.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Ahead of Print. We describe the first occurrence in Spain of community cases of CTX-M-27-producing Shigella sonnei sequence type 152 (ST152), resistant to quinolones and azithromycin. The cases included adult males and also one pediatric case. The isolates were clustered together with an Australian isolate and differed from other outbreak-causing strains in England by more than 50 alleles.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Ahead of Print. Although several clinical variables have been reported as risk factors for recurrence of Staphylococcus aureus infection, most studies have not considered competing risk events that may overestimate the risk. In this study, we performed competing risk analysis to identify risk factors related to 90-day recurrence in patients with S.

Environmental Microbiology, Volume 24, Issue 6, Page 2747-2758, June 2022. The in vitro antibacterial efficacy of an in-house designed cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) variant of Cecropin A (1–7)-Melittin (CAMA) (CAMA-CPP) against the characterized multi-drug resistant (MDR) field strains of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium were evaluated and compared with two identified CPPs namely, P7 and APP, keeping CAMA as contr

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aims The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of plasma-mediated oxidative stress on the post-treatment viability of Listeria monocytogenes at the physiological and molecular levels. Methods and Results 107 CFU/mL L. monocytogenes in 10 mL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were treated with atmospheric nonthermal plasma for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 s, respectively.

Background In India, multi-drug resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium poses a significant health threat. Indeed, S. Typhimurium has remained unknown for a large portion of its genome associated with various physiological functions including mechanism of drug resistance and virulence.

Background Giardia duodenalis, a single-celled intestinal parasite, is divided into eight assemblages (A-H), with differences in host specificity. Giardia duodenalis reproduces asexually and cycles between the binucleated trophozoite (4 N) and the infectious cyst with four nuclei (16 N). Interaction between the nuclei is limited.

Amanita muscaria is an ectomycorrhizal mushroom that commonly grows at metal-polluted sites. Sporocarps from the lead smelter-polluted area near Příbram (Central Bohemia, Czech Republic) showed elevated concentrations of Cd and Zn. Size exclusion chromatography of the cell extracts of the sporocarps from both polluted and unpolluted sites indicated that substantial part of intracellular Cd and Zn was sequestered in 6-kDa complexes, presumably with metallothionein(s) (MT).

This work developed an enzyme-free fluorescent aptasensor for sensitive aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) detection based on a dual signal amplification strategy of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and Zn2+-dependent DNAzyme. In the presence of AFB1, the aptamer specifically binds to the target, releasing the blocking DNA, which can initiate HCR between hairpin probes H1 and H2.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is reported to cause intestinal damage following ingestion of contaminated foods. Tibetan kefir (TK) is a fermented dairy product that possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gut microbiota-regulating properties. However, it is not clear if TK can alleviate OTA-associated intestinal toxicity. Here, we investigated whether TK can prevent OTA-induced intestinal barrier disruption in mice.

Recently, using bacteriophages as new molecular probes in reliable platforms for the detection of bacterial pathogens has attracted more and more increasing attentions. In this paper, a novel isolated Myoviridae bacteriophage SEP37 was covalently immobilized onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified gold disk electrode (GDE) surfaces using cysteamine (Cys) as a crosslinker.

In 2004, the Food Code of Korea adopted a multi-class multi-residue pesticide analysis method, which employed liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction for sample purification. After several modifications, the LLE stage was replaced by the QuEChERS method in October 2021. Thus, in the current study a comparison was carried out between the new QuEChERS method and the conventional LLE method for the simultaneous analysis of multiple pesticide residues.

A novel sol–gel pyridylethylthiopropyl functionalized silica-based sorbent was synthesized and utilized in an on-line column preconcentration system coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry for metal determination.

Patulin (PAT) is a common food-borne mycotoxin with diverse toxic effects including nephrotoxicity.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins that contaminate cereals and feed, thereby endangering human and animal health. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of artemisinin, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions in addition to anti-malaria and anti-cancer.

In this study, we investigate the effect of the probiotic E. faecium 669 strain on the gut integrity of broilers and the effect on intestinal colonization with Salmonella Enteritidis. In the in vivo experiment, 120 day-old broilers (Ross 308) were divided into four equally sized groups.

Endolysins encoded by bacteriophages are considered bacteriostatic agents for the prevention of pathogenic bacteria proliferations. In this study, a possible endolysin from bacteriophage JN01, namely LysJN01, belonging to the lysozyme-like superfamily, was cloned, expressed and characterized. Meanwhile, the bactericidal activity of recombinant LysJN01 (rLysJN01) against E. coli O157:H7 was evaluated in Tris-HCl buffer and on lettuce.

Although essential oils (EOs) exhibit antimicrobial properties, its application is limited owing to their strong volatility and poor water solubility. Emulsification is a valid strategy for improving chemical stability. In this study, we prepared a mustard essential oil (MO) emulsion with egg yolk lecithin and evaluated its antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes in vitro and in cheese curd.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the main foodborne pathogen of acute gastroenteritis in the world. A quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) was conducted to evaluate the health risk caused by V. parahaemolyticus in shellfish in the costal cities of east China. The QMRA framework was established from shellfish at retail through cooking at home to consumption. The prevalence and concentration of V.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of arable soils seriously threatens the safety of food products and sustainable development of agriculture. Iron/manganese oxide-based amendments have been widely applied to remediate heavy metal polluted paddy soils.