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The goal of this proposal is to identify effective intervention measures to reduce T. gondii contamination of meat and produce as well as to improve the detection of T. gondii. <P>The specific objectives of the project are: 1) To develop effective processing interventions to reduce T. gondiis contamination of meat and produce. 2) To design and develop an optical DNA sensing method for detection of T. gondiis using DNA sequence sandwich hybridization with oligonucleotide-functionalized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs).
Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
Protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is one of three pathogens (together with Salmonella and Listeria) which account for >75% of all deaths due to foodborne disease in the USA. One-third of the human world population is infected with T. gondii. The high disease burden in combination with disappointing results of the currently available treatments has led to a plea for more effective prevention. The goal of proposal is to identify effective intervention measures to reduce T. gondii contamination of meat and produce as well as to improve the detection of T. gondii. We will develop effective processing interventions to reduce T. gondiis contamination of meat and produce. We will also design and develop an optical DNA sensing method for detection of T. gondiis using DNA sequence sandwich hybridization with oligonucleotide-functionalized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). This research is expected to develop an improved detection method for T. gondiis and identify effective interventions that eliminate T. gondiis in meat and produce, hence ultimately enhancing appropriate control measures for T. gondiis and reducing foodborne toxoplasmosis.
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Approach:<br/>
1) Thermal and non-thermal techniques: 1) heating, 2) microwave, 3) irradiation, 4) high pressure, 5) freezing, and 6) chemical washing will be studied on their inactivation of T. gondiis in meat and produce. Effective technologies for specific foods will be identified and processing parameters for T. gondiis inactivation will be established. Sensory, nutritional and/or product quality impacts of efficacious food processing interventions will be evaluated.
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2) An optical DNA sensing method which is a label-free colorimetric method and can visibly detect T. gondiis by a color change through controlling DNA hybridization condition will be developed. When targets are hybridized with complementary AuNP-probes, the solution retained the initial red color. For non-targets, the phenomenon induces a color change from red to gray-blue following an increase in salt concentration and then quick cooling of the reaction solution, thus providing the basis of a direct colorimetric detection of the target DNA in the samples.