(380a) Engineering of Microfluidic Systems for Rapid Detection of Food Pathogens

Microbial contamination of fresh food causes severe illness, compromises food security and could disrupt intra- and inter-national trade in fresh foods.  Methods that enable rapid detection of pathogens in both exported and imported foods are of importance for enhancing food safety.  One of these methods is the concentration of microorganisms in food derived samples.  This approach utilizes hollow fibers in an integrated microfluidic system that microfilters a large volume of food extract and concentrates bacterial cells present in the sample by 500 to 1000 fold in about an hour.  The resulting small volume has a sufficient concentration of bacteria so that they may be effectively probed for presence of pathogens on a “first alert” basis.  A positive result, obtained during the process of cell concentration, would signal the need for subsequent analysis by PCR, antibody based capture and identification, and/or plating coupled with light scattering identification.  Rapid detection is important since it could help support both source and border interventions to guard against the distribution of pathogens in foods in a manner not previously possible.  However, results from rapid methods, currently under development, must be coupled with statistical techniques that define the best way to selectively sample the huge quantities of vegetable produce that are shipped into and across the US. This paper presents the current status of microfluidic technology for rapid cell concentration and its validation in an automated prototype. Some initial thoughts on the possible impacts of rapid detection technology on national and international intervention alternatives and their consequences, both positive and negative, are briefly outlined.