Sequencing of the entire genome appears as a key tool for the detection of salmonella

The global food supply will become safer as the food industry adopts a high-resolution sequencing of the entire genome – which simultaneously examines the full DNA of a given organism. This decision to make sequencing ubiquitous will lead to an always reliable detection of salmonella.

An article published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology co-authored by researchers from Cornell University and the Beijing Global Food Safety Center (GFSC) – highlights breakthroughs.

Salmonella is the foodborne pathogen that has the greatest impact on public health and the economy in the world. This is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in the world. Salmonella can be benign or cause death because its severity depends on Salmonella serotypes. [distinct variations] – and that's what we are trying to discover. "

Martin Wiedmann, professor of food safety and faculty member, Cornell Institute for Food Systems

The paper describes how the food industry around the world should more often use molecular methods for subtyping and characterizing salmonella. The paper compares earlier subtyping practices – some dating back to the 1930s – to the new sequencing of the entire genome, a method for badyzing a wider and more complete genome band.

Through this technique, scientists can more accurately identify a particular strain of salmonella and determine the origin and path of the outbreak, Wiedmann said.

For example, in early July, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used this technique as they began investigating an alleged link between salmonella and dog and ear treats – because of the people handling the product. At the time, there were 45 cases of salmonella in 13 states and 12 people hospitalized, according to the CDC.

"Genome-wide sequencing is quickly becoming the method of choice for salmonella subtyping," said microbiologist Silin Tang, lead author of the paper and senior scientist at the March Global Food Safety Center. "Food often reaches the consumer through increasingly complex supply chains, which creates many opportunities for compromising food safety Recent cases highlight the need for stronger control measures of salmonella in the food industry, including the rapid and accurate tracking of sources of contamination with the help of appropriate subtyping tools. "

According to Mr. Tang, the food industry could create a talent pool in bioinformatics – the use of software tools to understand biological data – in order to harness the full potential of sequencing technologies of the entire genome.

In addition, said Wiedmann, this document represents the translation of a university badysis into a useful application of the industry. "This will help the sector to implement better ways of proactively addressing the complications and complexity of salmonella," he said.