Team:Calgary

Our Project

Pathogenic Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli serotype O157:H7 is a major source of foodborne illness worldwide. Outbreaks like these cause death, hospitalizations, massive economic losses and an overall loss of consumer confidence in food safety. In 2011 there was a large outbreak of pathogenic E. coli in Europe with more than 4000 confirmed illnesses which resulted in 50 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 110,000 cases occur annually in the United States alone. Japan had 16 E. coli outbreaks in 1996 affecting 7,900 people and resulting in 12 deaths, many of the cases were school children. Pathogenic E. coli is also a major issue in the developing world and the consequences are exacerbated by the poor sanitation and rudimentary health networks. In Africa pathogenic E. coli has been identified in multiple countries and adversely affects health with greater risks associated with children, the elderly and HIV positive patients. One pathogenic E. coli outbreak in Swaziland was reported to cause over 2,000 deaths due to dead cattle contaminating the drinking water. Ruminating animals such as cattle and sheep can harbor pathogenic E. coli asymptomatically and are a major source of contamination in many cases. In Alberta, we experienced an outbreak in late 2012, this outbreak was the result of pathogenic E. coli contaminated beef and led to the largest meat recall in Canadian history. Quick detection of the pathogen is critical reduce waste, stop the spread of illness, and ultimately save lives. Due to the time it takes to culture E. coli and amplify target gene sequences, current testing methods take a long time to complete and can only identify contamination many hours after the meat has been processed.

One of the factors that amplifies the risk of E. coli outbreaks is the lack of a rapid, on-site detection method. In response, our team is using synthetic biology to develop a system to rapidly detect the presence of EHEC in the beef industry. Although we designed our sensor for testing in the beef industry provides, we designed it so that it can also detect EHEC in things like vegetables, water, and other livestock. By using engineered biological nanoparticles and DNA binding proteins, we can specifically detect pathogenic DNA sequences. Our biosensor functions at the genomic level to detect the presence of EHEC in a sample. This system allows us to quickly identify contamination during meat processing and also provides the ability to pre-screen cattle to limit potential sources of contamination before cattle enter the processing plant. Our system not only provides a powerful new tool for food safety, but also has the potential to act as a platform for the rapid detection of target organisms. These tests could hugely impact a myriad of industry applications ranging from the everyday, large-scale use in food safety testing and medical screening, to the specialized use in the detection and monitoring of biological weapons and hazards.