Detecting Bacteria In Food?

Detecting Bacteria?

Researchers have recently discovered a reliable method of detecting bacteria in fruits and vegetables. By using an advanced assay platform, researchers believe they have found the best method in detecting any pathogenic bacteria present. This assay essentially “lights up” any pathogenic bacteria that’s present, which notifies the workers of contaminated food. Of course, other factories are required to use bacteria-detection assays for the food industry, but often their assays don’t prove to be as reliable.

What makes this method so unique is how the factory workers do it. They started this process by injecting bacteriophages inside the food products. They take samples of all the products. Then they swab those samples with a sponge, waiting for the bacteriophages to target the bacteria. They run the sample through a machine that is meant to detect any light that is emitted. They track all their findings through the food company, looking and studying contamination patterns.

By detecting the bacteria early on, factory workers can in fact control what food goes to the markets and what doesn’t. This method is really important because it ensures that the food in the market is fresh and free of pathogenic bacteria. Most of us go to the market looking for the best, most fresh vegetables and fruits. Bacteriophages play such a major role in this process that it makes me wonder what else they can do. Their job is to infect bacteria, so the question is, what other bacteria can they infect that would further help us? Could we use bacteriophages in highly pathogenic areas to help clear some of the bacteria? In this instance, a virus is proven to be helpful. It would be interesting to know in what other ways viruses could be helpful with further research and discovery. 

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2014/brighter-future-for-bacteria-detection.html

Microbes Attaching to Our Food

5 Second Rule, Not a Myth?

Ever wonder if the “5 second rule” was real or not? Well according to a new study, time does matter when it comes to bacteria clinging onto your freshly dropped food. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this rule, it states that food that has only touched the floor for five seconds or less is okay to eat.

Researchers studied the common bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus to conduct this experiment. They studied these bacteria on different surfaces of the floor, like carpet, tiled or laminated surfaces. Then they tested the transferring of the bacteria unto a variety of foods, from pasta to sticky buns, when the food touched the floor. They discovered that time really does matter when it comes to the transfer of bacteria to a surface of food. They also discovered that bacteria are more likely to transfer from tiled or laminate surfaces than from carpet. So what does this mean for us?

Up until now the “5 second rule” has really been a myth. Does that mean we should still follow it, though? Well I suppose that depends on where you drop your food, but the infection risk from eating off the floor will still be there either way. Researchers say that if the food is picked up within five or less seconds of touching the floor, we run a lesser risk of contracting an infection. However, one could argue that we could avoid the risk of contracting an infection by just simply not eating food off the floor in the first place. I believe that since these bacteria are so common and present on the surfaces of floors, they are probably just as common on other surfaces that we touch daily, so we could easily contract them any other way. It seems pretty unavoidable. On a good note, people can now use the 5 second rule as an excuse to not only finish their food, but also stay relatively healthy. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140310102212.htm

Microbes in Hyenas Scent Glands?

 The Role of Bacteria in Communication

Researchers have recently discovered that there are actually bacteria located in the scent glands of hyenas that help them communicate and interact with other hyenas and or animals. This has a lot to do with the behavior of hyenas. They essentially mark their territory by leaving a foul-smelling “paste” on the ground. When other hyenas approach this and smell this “paste”, they recognize certain features and information on the hyena that put the paste there. A hyena can distinguish the sex, age and other details specific of the hyena that dropped the paste. Why, one may ask, do the hyenas drop this paste? They do this to avoid aggression in their clan and to notify other’s of their presence.

             Hyenas actually have scent glands above the anus on both sides of their body. These scent glands happen to be perfect habitats for bacteria. They found that the communities of bacteria that inhabit theses scent glands vary among hyena social groups and clans. Researchers believe that bacteria in the scent glands are actually contributing to the specific scent and structure of the “paste”. If this is true, then it could really shine light on the idea that bacteria play a role in communication.

            I believe that this could be applied to other animals as well. If bacteria help hyenas in communication, I don’t see why it wouldn’t help other animals. Dogs, for example, smell other dogs and also receive information through scent. I’m sure microbes have a lot to do with that as well. In fact, most animals use their scent on a daily basis, and most animals harbor perfect microbial habitats within their body. If researchers can really prove that bacteria do play such a grand role in communication for hyenas, then I believe they can start looking into the bacterial make-up of other animals. Through this, they can discover a lot more about bacteria and open up many new concepts and ideas that may not have been completely present before. 

http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/do-microbes-help-hyenas-communicate/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1