Innovative way to detect pathogenic bacteria
The EC-funded BACILLUS CEREUS project focused on understanding the virulence mechanisms of Bacillus cereus. B. cereus is a food-borne pathogen and one of the causative agents of gastroenteritis. In certain occasions, B.cereus can be life-threatening and eventually fatal. The challenge is that a number of B. cereus strains are not pathogenic to humans, however, there are no available methods to distinguish the virulent from the non-virulent strains. The main virulence factor of pathogenic B. cereus bacteria is the emetic toxin cereulide. Project partners have developed an innovative method to detect the presence of cereulide and thus distinguish between different B. cereus strains. This is a PCR method based on a gene fragment linked to cereulide synthesis. The PCR method was validated through a series of studies, which included 200 bacterial isolates. Cereulide-producing strains were identified in less than a day. The lack of complexity renders this method suitable for use in a number of food safety laboratories. The developers of this technology have already filed for patent protection and are willing to exploit the market potential of this PCR method.
