DNA-Barcoded Pathogen Surrogates for Rapid Sanitation Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for validating and verifying sanitation and wash processes in food processing plants are inadequate, as they rely on non-pathogenic bacteria that can cause false positives and require lengthy incubation times, and actual pathogens cannot be used for in-plant validation, leading to inefficiencies and potential contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
The use of DNA bar-coded pathogen surrogates encapsulated in non-toxic carriers that mimic the behavior of pathogens, allowing for rapid and accurate validation and verification of sanitation processes by measuring the survival and behavior of these surrogates post-sanitation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-pathogenic bacteria are used for validation, then the process can be performed in-plant without contamination risk, but false positives occur and lengthy incubation times are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses DNA barcodes as information copies that can be rapidly detected without requiring bacterial cultivation. The DNA barcodes serve as informational replicas of pathogen presence, enabling fast verification without the time-consuming incubation required for live bacterial growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying feature (DNA barcode) from the pathogen structure, separating it from the living bacterial cell. This allows detection of the pathogen's genetic signature without requiring the pathogen to be alive or undergo incubation, thus eliminating the time delay while maintaining accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If actual pathogens are used for validation, then accurate verification of sanitation processes is achieved, but contamination risks and potential illness occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces DNA barcodes as an intermediary substance that carries pathogen-specific genetic information without being a living pathogen. These DNA barcodes serve as safe mediators that allow accurate detection and verification of sanitation processes while eliminating the biological hazards associated with using actual live pathogens.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses DNA barcodes as informational copies that represent pathogen presence without containing the pathogen's harmful biological properties. The DNA sequence serves as a safe replica that preserves the ability to identify and track pathogen behavior during sanitation processes while eliminating contamination risks.
3Productivity
If live bacteria (pathogenic or non-pathogenic) are used in food processing plants, then process validation is possible, but false positives from DNA fragments cause economic losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses synthetic DNA barcodes as information copies that can be precisely controlled and differentiated. These synthetic DNA sequences serve as unique identifiers that do not cross-react with natural bacterial DNA, enabling accurate detection without false positives while maintaining high validation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the validation agent from live bacterial cells to synthetic DNA molecules. This parameter change allows for precise control of the validation signal through synthetic DNA sequences that can be uniquely detected without cross-reacting with background bacterial DNA, thereby eliminating false positives.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and reliable validation and verification of sanitation processes, reducing the risk of false positives and downtime, and ensuring effective removal of microbial contamination in food processing and wash water systems.
Implementation Method 1
The DNA bar code is combined with the surrogate carrier to form a pathogen surrogate, where the pathogen surrogate is degradable under a sanitation process
Data Source
AI summary
A pathogen surrogate, formed by a DNA tag or bar code and a carrier, is described for use in the validation and verification of sanitation, such as in food processing operations and for wash water systems for fresh produce. The carrier material is selected so that the pathogen surrogate mimics the behavior of a pathogen when subjected to a sanitation operation. One or more surrogates can be introduced in to an environment, which is then subjected to sanitation process, followed by a detection process using the DNA tag of the surrogate.