NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – PathoGenetix today said that Marshfield Food Safety will evaluate and provide feedback on PathoGenetix's Resolution Microbial Genotyping System.
The system uses PathoGenetix's Genome Sequence Scanning technology to identify molecular serotype and strain type information on foodborne pathogens. It analyzes microbial DNA directly from enriched food samples and can type target bacteria in just five hours, even when multiple serovars are present, the Woburn, Mass.-based firm said.
Unlike, pulsed field gel electrophoresis , which currently is the current gold standard for pathogen identification, GSS is culture independent and fully automated from sample preparation to final report, said PathoGenetix.
Marshfield will conduct testing of the Resolution instrument, assays, and database in its own laboratory, and will provide feedback to PathoGenetix on the speed, utility, and ease-of-use of the system for food safety applications. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We believe the system can simplify pathogen confirmation and reduce the time required to identify microbial contamination and trace it back to the original source in the production facility," Marshfield CEO Roy Radcliff said in a statement.
Earlier this year PathoGenetix said in separate announcements that both the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service were evaluating its technology.