Scientific focus

The department Foodborne Zoonoses is mainly concerned with the development and validation of methods for the detection of relevant zoonotic pathogens associated with food of animal origin. In the past, foodborne disease outbreaks have repeatedly occurred, for example, due to the consumption of products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella or Campylobacter spp. The goal of preventive consumer protection can only be achieved if early detection of microbial hazards is feasible. For this reason, the Foodborne Zoonoses Department is increasingly involved in the development rapid methods that ideally allow direct identification of pathogens in field diagnostics.

With regard to rapid pathogen detection, molecular diagnostics offer promising approaches. Methods such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method are able to detect pathogens on the basis of specific DNA amplification, providing high analytical specificity and sensitivity. In most cases, the use of these techniques eliminates the need for labor-intensive and time-consuming cultivation and isolation of pathogens. In particular, the LAMP method can be implemented with minimal equipment requirements due to the isothermal reaction conditions (constant reaction temperature). Therefore, it is also suitable for application under restricted on-site conditions.