Article
Food Science & Technology
Tanis McMahon, Mariam Abdelmesih, Alexander Gill
Summary: Reported food-borne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have varied greatly in terms of the types of foods involved. False negative results in the PCR screening for DNA sequences associated with the pathogen can occur due to PCR inhibitors present in food enrichments. This study evaluated three alternative DNA extraction protocols for the detection of the Shiga toxin gene, and two of them produced accurate results in the analysis of enrichments from sixteen different inoculated foods.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Momna Rubab, Deog-Hwan Oh
Summary: The study investigated the antibiotic resistance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates, finding that most strains exhibited phenotypic resistance, with common resistant genes including ere(A), aadA1, and aac(3)-I. These results underscore the importance of monitoring multidrug resistance globally.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rafael Antonio Nascimento Ramos, Alessio Giannelli, Francois Fasquelle, Angelo Scuotto, Didier Betbeder
Summary: This study evaluated an intranasal immunotherapy for dogs infected with L. infantum, and the results showed that it effectively reduced parasite burden and disease symptoms without any side effects. This research provides hope for future developments.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Inseon Lee, Seok-Joon Kwon, Mirco Sorci, Peter S. Heeger, Jonathan S. Dordick
Summary: This study utilized CRISPR technology and immunoassay methods to detect the protein CXCL9 in the urine of kidney transplant recipients, demonstrating improved sensitivity and accuracy of detection through enhanced DNA barcode system and Cas12a enzyme trans-cleavage activity, while showing high selectivity.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michael Margulis, Meir Cohen, Shmuel Burg, Shira Avivi-Mintz, Amos Danielli
Summary: This study introduces an optical modulation biosensing (OMB) system for detecting target molecules and separating signals from background noise efficiently. The OMB system showed good detection performance for human interleukin-8. Additionally, the OMB-based Zika IgG serological assay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in Zika-positive and healthy individuals' serum samples.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chanokchon Jaroenporn, Wannakarn Supawasit, Damkerng Bundidamorn, Pathima Udompijitkul, Anunchai Assawamakin, Sudsai Trevanich
Summary: The aim of this study was to validate the developed multiplex PCR-based alternative method for detecting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), and Salmonella spp. in raw meats. The developed mPCR showed potential as a fast, specific, and sensitive tool for detecting these three bacteria in the raw meat industry.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sabrina Petrucci, Emre Dikici, Sylvia Daunert, Sapna K. Deo
Summary: This study demonstrates the development of a rapid test for the detection of foodborne bacteria using an isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification reaction. The method allows for simultaneous detection of two Shiga toxin genes and has a short turnaround time of approximately 35 minutes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrea Mancusi, Andrea Fulgione, Santa Girardi, Orlandina Di Maro, Federico Capuano, Yolande T. R. Proroga, Daniela Cristiano
Summary: This study investigated the application of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in detecting verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The results showed that ddPCR was able to detect STEC in a shorter time compared to the official method, making it a more efficient approach.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Biniam Moges, Degisew Yinur, Aliyi Hassen, Tesfaye Sisay Tessema
Summary: A rapid, effective, sensitive, and specific immunodiagnostic assay for STEC strain detection was developed in this study. The assay showed high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in detecting STEC strains, including those in human feces. However, further studies are needed to improve the sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility.
WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Anja Mueller, Diana Seinige, Nils T. Grabowski, Birte Ahlfeld, Min Yue, Corinna Kehrenberg
Summary: Insects as novel foods are gaining popularity in Europe. While the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in edible insects poses a potential health hazard, the majority of isolates belong to phylogenetic group A, mainly commensal E. coli. Moreover, the low resistance rate among the isolates indicates a low risk for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli to consumers.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Svetlana N. Kovalchuk, Anna L. Arkhipova
Summary: This article describes the development of a TaqMan PCR assay for the detection of A and B variants of bovine BLG. Compared to the commonly used PCR-RFLP, this one-step method requires less time and is more suitable for large-scale genotyping of cattle.
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dan Huang, Hui Deng, Juan Zhou, Guan A. Wang, Qian Lei, Chen Guo, Wanting Peng, Peng Liang, Chenlan Shen, Binwu Ying, Weimin Li, Feng Li
Summary: PANDA technology eliminates the interference caused by high concentrations of wild-type sequences and enables the ultrasensitive detection of cancer mutations with low VAFs. Compared to digital PCR, PANDA has fewer false negatives and lower costs. It also offers multiplex testing and has wide applications in analyzing rare mutations in diverse diseases.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lucrezia Rocchetti, Beatrice Munari, Elisa Varrone, Elisa Porcellini, Dorothea Orth-Hoeller, Reinhard Wuerzner, Domenica Carnicelli, Maurizio Brigotti
Summary: The pathogenesis of eHUS is influenced by pathogenic E. coli producing Stx and host factors. Stx2a is considered the main pathogenic factor in eHUS development, with its functional properties changing based on modifications of toxin structure.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yumna Aloraij, Alanoud Alsheikh, Reema A. Alyousef, Fatimah Alhamlan, Ghadeer A. R. Y. Suaifan, Saddam Muthana, Khaled Al-Kattan, Mohammed Zourob
Summary: Despite progress in fighting infectious diseases, human adenoviruses (HAdVs) that cause eye infections still pose a significant threat. Conventional diagnostic methods suffer from various issues, and this study presents a novel nanobased immunosensing technique for rapid HAdV detection. The developed assay is simple, reliable, and cost-effective, with a detection limit of 10(2) pfu/mL in less than 2 minutes. It offers a visual color change as a means of detection, demonstrating high specificity and potential as a point-of-care testing device for low-resource settings.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lene Idland, Erik G. Bo-Granquist, Marina Aspholm, Toril Lindback
Summary: Despite lacking scientific evidence, some consumers believe raw milk is more nutritious and immunological, leading to the popularity of unpasteurized cow milk. However, raw milk may pose a risk of STEC infections.
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Maria Mksoud, Till Ittermann, Birte Holtfreter, Andreas Soehnel, Carmen Soehnel, Alexander Welk, Lena Ulm, Karsten Becker, Nils-Olaf Huebner, Andrea Rau, Stefan Kindler, Thomas Kocher
Summary: This study examined the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among dental teams in Germany during the pandemic. The results showed that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among dental teams was not higher than that in the general population.
CLINICAL ORAL INVESTIGATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Elias Eger, Michael Schwabe, Lukas Schulig, Nils-Olaf Huebner, Juergen A. Bohnert, Uwe T. Bornscheuer, Stefan E. Heiden, Justus U. Mueller, Fazal Adnan, Karsten Becker, Carlos L. Correa-Martinez, Sebastian Guenther, Evgeny A. Idelevich, Daniel Baecker, Katharina Schaufler
Summary: The ability of extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae to rapidly acquire resistance to novel antibiotics is a global concern. This study investigated the development of resistance against the drug combination ceftazidime-avibactam in a specific strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae and explored the mechanisms of resistance and the resulting fitness and virulence costs. The study reveals the crucial role of a specific porin channel mutation in resistance development and identifies a major metabolic regulator for ameliorating fitness and virulence costs.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elisa Heuser, Karsten Becker, Evgeny A. Idelevich
Summary: Sodium bituminosulfonate has been shown to have bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and is effective at higher concentrations.
Article
Virology
Katja Verena Goller, Juliane Moritz, Janine Ziemann, Christian Kohler, Karsten Becker, Nils-Olaf Huebner
Summary: Knowledge on the severity and symptoms of infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants BA.2 and BA.5 is limited. Comparative analysis of epidemiological data revealed significant differences in symptoms between BA.2 and BA.5 infected individuals. However, there was no evidence suggesting that BA.5 has a higher pathogenicity or causes a more severe course of infection than BA.2. This study highlights the importance of timely investigations using public health data to gather detailed information on the clinical presentation of different SARS-CoV-2 subvariants.
Article
Microbiology
Matthijs S. Berends, Christian F. Luz, Alewijn Ott, Gunnar Andriesse, Karsten Becker, Corinna Glasner, Alex W. Friedrich
Summary: This retrospective study provides an in-depth data analysis of CoNS isolates found in human blood culture isolates in the Northern Netherlands between 2013 and 2019. The study identifies 27 different CoNS species and observes significant differences in occurrence and antibiotic resistance profiles. However, these differences are often neglected in national guidelines.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Adeniran Adeyanju, Frieder Schaumburg, Adedeji Onayade, Akinyele Akinyoola, Taofeeq Adeyemi, Osaretin Ugbo, Robin Koeck, Yemisi Amusa, Oladejo Lawal, Temilade Adeyanju, Nkem Torimiro, David Akinpelu, Deboye Kolawole, Christian Kohler, Karsten Becker
Summary: This study analyzed the nosocomial impact of Staphylococcus aureus in a Nigerian University hospital and found that S. aureus has a significant influence on hospital-acquired infections. In addition, it was also found that effective approaches are needed to control the acquisition of multidrug-resistant S. aureus in hospitals.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Amal G. G. Al-Bakri, Lina A. A. Dahabiyeh, Enam Khalil, Deema Jaber, Gihan Kamel, Nina Schleimer, Christian Kohler, Karsten Becker
Summary: In this study, synchrotron-radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) was used to investigate the differences between small colony variants (SCVs) of Staphylococcus aureus and diabetic foot Staphylococcus epidermidis. The results showed that SR-FTIR can effectively discriminate between different staphylococci species and differentiate SCVs from their corresponding natural strains.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Frieder Schaumburg, Bettina Loefler, Karsten Becker
DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Elvira R. Shaidullina, Michael Schwabe, Thomas Rohde, Valeria V. Shapovalova, Marina S. Dyachkova, Alina D. Matsvay, Yuliya A. Savochkina, Andrey A. Shelenkov, Yulia V. Mikhaylova, Katharina Sydow, Francois Lebreton, Evgeny A. Idelevich, Stefan E. Heiden, Karsten Becker, Roman S. Kozlov, German A. Shipulin, Vasiliy G. Akimkin, Michael Lalk, Sebastian Guenther, Andreas E. Zautner, Juergen A. Bohnert, Ayslu M. Mardanova, Ruth Bouganim, Dror Marchaim, Katharina J. Hoff, Katharina Schaufler, Mikhail V. Edelstein
Summary: This study is the first to investigate a large international collection of K. pneumoniae ST395 genomes, revealing the phylogenetics and detailed genomic characteristics of this emerging high-risk clonal lineage.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Loris Busch, Anna Maria Hanuschik, Yuri Avlasevich, Katrin Darm, Elisa F. F. Hochheiser, Christian Kohler, Evgeny A. A. Idelevich, Karsten Becker, Peter Rotsch, Katharina Landfester, Maxim E. E. Darvin, Martina C. C. Meinke, Cornelia M. M. Keck, Axel Kramer, Paula Zwicker
Summary: Hair follicles are important drug delivery targets for skin antisepsis due to their high concentration of skin microbiome. Nanoparticles can penetrate deeply into hair follicles and can be triggered to release drugs through various mechanisms. The study introduces UV-responsive nanocapsules containing hydroxyethyl starch, which demonstrated efficient release of ethanol and a strong reduction in microbial load on porcine ear skin. The findings suggest the potential for advanced skin antisepsis using UVA-responsive nanocapsules.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jennifer K. Bender, Elsa Baufeld, Karsten Becker, Heike Claus, Anna Dudakova, Achim Doerre, Nikoletta Fila, Carola Fleige, Axel Hamprecht, Armin Hoffmann, Michael Hogardt, Achim J. Kaasch, Axel Kola, Nancy Kriebel, Franziska Layer-Nicolaou, Matthias Marschal, Ernst Molitor, Nico T. Mutters, Jan Liese, Claudia Nelkenbrecher, Bernd Neumann, Holger Rohde, Joerg Steinmann, Michael Soerensen, Philipp Thelen, Michael Weig, Andreas E. Zautner, Guido Werner
Summary: An increasing number of linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) has been recognized in Germany. However, there is a lack of reliable and rapid diagnostic methods for screening LRE in epidemiologically linked hospital settings. CHROMAgar™ LIN-R provides a simple and efficient screening tool for LRE in clinical settings. The prevalence of LRE among German hospital patients was estimated to be 1% based on the study results.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Evgeny A. Idelevich, Betty Nedow, Marcus Vollmer, Karsten Becker
Summary: Over the past decade, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) has become a standard method for identifying bacteria and yeasts. However, further optimization of the identification process is necessary to streamline workflows and save resources. This study evaluated the use of a multipurpose benchtop tool, MBT FAST Shuttle IVD, for accelerated drying of liquid assay components on a MALDI target. The results showed that using the MBT FAST Shuttle significantly reduced drying time and improved identification success.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Elisa Heuser, Karsten Becker, Evgeny A. Idelevich
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and time savings of automated colony counting. The results showed that fully automatic counting resulted in low accuracy, especially for plates with very high or very low colony numbers. Visual correction improved the concordance with manual counts, but there was no benefit in counting time.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Karsten Becker
Summary: While modern molecular methods have greatly improved microbiological diagnostics, the detection and identification of phenotypic variants still pose challenges. This is particularly true for the small-colony-variant (SCV) phenotype formed by staphylococci, which is difficult to detect and characterize due to its unstable nature. The physiological and metabolic changes in SCVs make traditional growth-based methods unreliable, requiring prolonged incubation times and confirmation by molecular methods. Standardized protocols for SCV diagnostics are currently lacking, but their detection has significant implications for treatment and should be reported and managed collaboratively with microbiological laboratories and clinicians.
Letter
Health Care Sciences & Services
Juergen A. Bohnert, Lena Ulm, Nils-Olaf Huebner, Ulrike Seifert, Karsten Becker, Axel Kramer
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-EUROPE
(2022)
