Science News did a story today on E. coli:
Escherichia coli is one of the most dangerous agents of food-borne disease and ingesting contaminated food or water can be deadly, especially for children or the elderly. Quick and accurate testing is crucial for avoiding potential infections, but in order to be effective many current tests require time-consuming amplification of samples. New findings indicate that specially treated nanoparticles of silica could allow researchers to detect a single E. coli bacterium in a ground beef sample, with no amplification required.
Weihong Tan and his colleagues at the University of Florida attached antibodies specific to the E. coli strain that causes food poisoning, O157:H7, to silica particles measuring just 60 nanometers across. The tiny particles also contained a few thousand fluorescent dye molecules. When the team mixed the particles into ground beef samples, the antibodies attached the silica to the bacteria. The signal given off by the dye allowed the scientists to detect a single bacterium in a sample in less than 20 minutes.
The new approach can be tailored to detect a variety of bacterial pathogens by changing the antibodies employed, according to a report published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Indeed, the authors contend that the technique may emerge as a revolutionary tool for ultrasensitive detection of disease markers and infectious agents.
Other E. coli Lawsuits
McDonalds linked to 90 E. coli cases and 1 Death
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11 with E. coli linked to Raw Milk LLC Cheese
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Huntley High School students hit with E. coli
Marler Clark retained by a dozen families to investigate Fueling Brain E. coli Outbreak
E. coli Outbreak linked to University of Arkansas
E. coli Lawsuit filed in Washington State against Torero's Mexican Restaurant
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E. coli Food Poisoning
What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so...
E. coli O157:H7
E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in...
Non-O157 STEC
Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...
Sources of E. coli
Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...
Transmission of and Infection with E. coli
While many dairy cattle-associated foodborne disease outbreaks are linked to raw milk and other raw dairy products (e.g., cheeses, butter, ice cream), dairy cattle still represent a source of contamination...
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