Arun K. Bhunia
Purdue University, USA
Title: Laser Optical Sensor for Rapid On-Plate Screening of Water and Food-borne Pathogens
Biography
Biography: Arun K. Bhunia
Abstract
Rapid pathogen testing tools are in high demand. A novel, label-free on-plate colony screening tool employing light scattering technology, called BARDOT (bacterial rapid detection using optical scattering technology) for pathogens from water, food, clinical specimens and environmental samples is described. When a red diode laser (635 nm) is illuminated in the center of a bacterial colony, it generates unique scatter signature for each phylogeny. BARDOT was used for detection and identification of Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria, and Bacillus spp. using scatter image libraries. It was also used sucessfully for detection and identification of Enterobactericiae and coliforms from food and water samples. The colonies are further confirmed by PCR or genome sequencing, thus BARDOT could serve as a pre-screening tool for molecular analysis of pathogens from food and water.