Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Using Bacterial Viruses to Enhance Food Safety
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1013 Using Bacterial Viruses to Enhance Food Safety
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m. Dr. David Niesel
And I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog.
You may not realize that every year, one out of six Americans get food poisoning. Over a hundred thousand end up in a hospital and some with fatal outcomes. This past year, a Trader Joe’s meal had a listeria scare and the year before, it was Silk’s almond milk.
Other common food borne bacteria include salmonella and E. coli. But scientists are exploring a novel way to control these bacteria using bacteriophages – viruses that attack bacteria without harming us.
They act like “heat seeking” missiles that lock onto a bacterial species and ignore everything else. Bacterial viruses were discovered in the mid-nineteen tens, and scientists are now revisiting them.
Research is focusing on how to use them on ready-to-eat meats. Spraying or soaking meat with the virus reduced bacteria but couldn’t reach microbes inside the meat.
A new study is experimenting with microneedle technology instead. These are tiny, dissolvable spikes made of food-safe materials that “inject” bacteriophages directly into food.
A Velcro-like patch was applied to cooked chicken contaminated with E. coli. Within hours, the viruses wiped out nearly all the bacteria, both on the surface and deep inside the meat.
If approved, the patches could become a part of food packaging—like the moisture-absorbing pads in chicken trays or the lining in salads. This way, food packaging won’t just preserve food, it’ll actively protect us.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or subscribe to our podcast.
