Acinetobacter baumannii, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are foodborne pathogens found in soil and can be transmitted to crops and cause illness. The purpose of this project was to design and test new PCR assays to detect and identify these pathogens. The PCR primers were designed to be specific to each bacterium. Primers for A. baumannii were designed targeting the csuA/B, ompA, abaR, and oxa genes and primers for E. coli, B. cereus, and P. aeruginosa were designed to target the yedN, cmk, and lasR genes, respectively. The target DNA for each specie was obtained from ATCC and the primers were purchased from IDT. The primers were tested using real-time PCR using the LightScanner master mix and detecting the LC Green Plus fluorescent intercalating dye. The csuA/B and<br/>ompA primers were specific for A. baumannii and the sensitivity of each primer set was tested. An agarose gel was used to confirm the sizes of the amplicons. A duplex PCR assay was developed for A. baumannii and B. cereus and additional primer combinations and ratios are in testing.

Development of a PCR assay for foodborne pathogens from soil

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.