NCTR Publications > NCTR Research Highlights

Improvements in Salmonella Identification

Investigators from the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) have shown that using a statistical method (random forest classification) to analyze profiles of genomic DNA fragments produced by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) from eight serotypes of Salmonella enterica improved the accuracy of predicting the relationships between PFGE banding patterns and particular serotypes over the conventional method of hierarchical cluster analysis. Current technology for identifying foodborne pathogens relies on standard microbiological methodology and genomic analyses, such as PFGE, which is the standard typing method for isolates (samples) from Salmonella outbreaks and epidemiological investigations. Because strain identification requires comparison of complex patterns of DNA fragments, this statistical method will improve FDA's ability to classify novel isolates of foodborne pathogens. A manuscript describing this research was recently accepted for publication (Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2010).

For additional information, please contact Wen Zou, Ph.D., Division of Personalized Nutrition and Medicine, NCTR/FDA.




Pathogen Database

On August 20, 2010, NCTR organized and hosted an interactive WebEx seminar featuring Bruno Sobral, Ph.D., Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI), Virginia Tech University. VBI is consolidating four large pathogen databases into their PathoSystems Resource Integration Center (PATRIC), which contains approximately 2,300 bacterial genomes and could serve as a resource on foodborne pathogens for FDA’s research community. Discussions are underway between VBI's Cyberinfrastructure Division and FDA Centers interested in developing formal collaborations to work with the PATRIC database.


For additional information, please contact Jim Kaput, Ph.D., Director, Division of Personalized Nutrition and Medicine, NCTR/FDA.

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NCTR Publications > NCTR Research Highlights