LANSING, Mich. – Neogen Corporation said it has developed a breakthrough pathogen detection and identification technology that provides next day, DNA-specific test results for seven pathogenicE. colistrains. The technology could be adapted to target almost any bacterium of concern in almost any food sample type.


Neogen's NeoSEEK pathogen DNA detection method forE. colistrains is the first food-safety laboratory technology developed through the close collaboration of Neogen's food-safety research group and the company's GeneSeek research team. GeneSeek, acquired by Neogen in April 2010, is considered the leading commercial agricultural genetics laboratory in the US, according to the company.

"The NeoSEEK food-safety technology is exactly the type of technology we envisioned developing when we acquired GeneSeek," said James Herbert, Neogen's chairman and CEO. "GeneSeek has been very successful in employing DNA genotyping technology for animal applications. Food-safety applications are natural extensions of that technology. As recent worldwide food recalls have clearly shown, regulators and the food industry need a rapid, DNA-definitive test for bacterial pathogens. NeoSEEK provides that DNA-definitive test result."

Neogen initially will provide next-day results from enriched samples through its GeneSeek laboratory facilities for sevenE. coli strains — O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157. Like the better known and widely regulatedE. coli O157:H7 strain, these other six E. coli strains are known food-safety concerns, and produce Shiga toxins, which are well known to cause severe illness.

The NeoSEEK technology uses mass spectrometry-based multiplexing to develop a "DNA bar code" for bacteria in a food sample, and then compares those results with the known genetic makeup of the targetE. coli strains to identify and differentiate the target strains. NeoSEEK assays a total of 71 independent genetic markers to detect and identify, which provides actionable results much sooner than conventional cultural methods. The extreme sensitivity of the method allows a limit of detection far more sensitive than existing rapid methods for the pathogens.

The technology is expandable and customizable to include any bacteria for which a genetic profile can be developed, whether they be dangerous foodborne pathogens, or spoilage microorganisms that present food quality and shelf-life concerns.

Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety.