March 28, 2009

Philippine researchers develop food pathogen detection kit

Researchers from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Los Banos are marketing a test kit to detect deadly pathogens more quickly, according to a report.

The speed is because there is no need for confirmatory testing.

A release on CropBiotech Update, a Web site for world biotech developments for developing countries, said the system can detect deadly strains of E.coli O157:H, salmonella and staphylococcus.

The kit is pathogen specific, accurate and highly sensitive, the report said. The test amplifies small fragments of an organism's DNA, allowing detection of the presence of the pathogenic microorganism, the report said.

The kit, which provides definitive results and doesn't need confirmatory tests, can be utilised by the animal industry, food industry, government regulatory agencies, health institutions and quarantine and service laboratories, the report said.