In the news

A new durable and washable composite material made from antibacterial copper nanoparticles have been developed by material scientists at The University of Manchester, working in collaboration with universities in China. They developed the composite material into wearable materials such as cotton and polyester, which has proved a stumbling block for scientists in the past. The researchers had tethered copper nanoparticles to cotton and polyester using a polymer brush, creating a strong chemical bond. Lead author, Dr. Xuqing Liu, from the School of Materials, said: “Now that our composite materials present excellent antibacterial properties and durability, it has huge potential for modern medical and healthcare applications.” Can the food industry use a similar technology to reduce the spread of bacteria in manufacturing plants? @ http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/infection-outbreaks-at-hospitals-could-be-reduced-by-copper-coated-uniforms/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety (USDA) and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses reported in the state of Iowa that may be caused by Salmonella associated with a chicken salad product. The product was sold at all This product was shipped to all Fareway grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota and sold directly to consumers who shopped at Fareway. The problem was discovered following reports of illness in Iowa. grocery stores in Iowa, as well as Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. This product was shipped to all Fareway grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota and sold directly to consumers. The problem was discovered following reports of illness in Iowa. On Feb. 9, 2018, the Iowa Department of Public Health notified FSIS of an investigation of Salmonella-related illnesses, within the state of Iowa. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-and-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2018/nr-02142018-07

“We are excited to bring to the market a portable quantitative-polymerase-chain-reaction (qPCR) device with performance that rivals the most expensive lab-based systems, at a fraction of the cost,” said Dr. Zhimin Ding, CEO of Anitoa Systems. “We strive to make our molecular testing systems rugged, accessible, and with battery operation and power-loss protection capability to facilitate their effective use in low resource settings.” The Maverick technology was shown to detect several types of pathogen DNA and RNA strands, such as Hepatitis B and C, HIV, E. coli and many of their drug-resistant variants. The system can reliably detect 4 copies pathogen molecule DNA per sample with over 9 orders of magnitude in dynamic range. @ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anitoa-unveils-ultra-portable-qpcr-system-at-molecular-med-tri-con-2018-300597348.html

Clemson University researchers are working to develop packages that would use communication between cells to detect food that’s beginning to spoil. Quorum sensing (cell to cell communications) uses signaling molecules called autoinducers. Dr. Kay Cooksey and Claudia Ionita are designing a sensor that would identify autoinducers present in packaged foods. Dr. Cooksey said, “The idea is to take what the microorganisms do naturally, put that with being able to sense that they are starting to create a food spoilage situation and build that into a sensor.” @ http://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/clemson-researchers-look-to-biological-sensors-to-detect-food-thats-starting-to-spoil/