Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020 - 66

INDUSTRY PRODUCTS
Bio-Rad Laboratories' First Commercially
Available Droplet Digital PCR Solution for
Detecting Pathogenic STEC
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. announces the launch of its
dd-Check STEC Solution for detecting virulence genes
from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).
Pathogenic STEC is defined as the presence of both stx1
and stx2, as well as eae, in one E. coli bacterium. The kit,
which harnesses Bio-Rad's Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)
technology, is the first commercially available test for
determining the co-existence of the STEC virulence
genes in a single bacterium, providing rapid and reliable
confirmation of the presence of pathogenic STEC.
Traditional screening tests for pathogenic STEC cannot
distinguish between bacteria carrying both virulence markers
(true positive) and mixed cultures in which these target genes are
present in different bacteria (false positive). After a traditional
screening test, samples must go through laborious culture
methods to confirm results, which can take up to five days.
Since dd-Check STEC Solution accurately determines
the coexistence of stx and eae in the same bacterium without
additional confirmatory steps, it can return results in a few hours.
Decreasing screening and confirmation turnaround time means
products can be released to market faster, which is especially
important for food matrices with limited shelf life.
The dd-Check STEC Solution uses ddPCR technology to
generate thousands of uniform nanoliter-sized droplets. Once

generated, the droplets can be amplified, read, and analyzed for
the colocalization of virulence genes by Bio-Rad Qx IDE Manager
Software. By encapsulating a single bacterium in each droplet, the
dd-Check STEC Kit can distinguish between a true positive and
a negative result.
As regulations classifying STEC as an adulterant continue
to change, the kit provides the flexibility to adapt to new
requirements. If other virulence factors are required for testing,
the workflow can be updated to include additional testing.
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
+1 800.424.6723
Hercules, CA
www.bio-rad.com

New Electroporation Optimization
Compendium from BTX

Hinged Guard Safety Interlock Switches
from ZF Electronic Systems

BTX®, a division of Harvard Bioscience, Inc., is a company
in development and manufacture of innovative electroporation
and electrofusion tools for the advancement of cell transfection
and cell fusion, has announced a new publication, Exclusive
Compendium: Optimizing an Electroporation Protocol.
Whether you are in the process of optimizing an existing
electroporation method or developing an entirely new protocol,
this Exclusive Compendium includes important best practice
information and tips for your lab.
Incorporating both square and exponential decay wave electroporation-in a single unit, the Gemini ×2 is ideal for universal
delivery of molecules of interest to any cell type in applications
including in vitro cuvette, high throughput 96-well screening,
CRISPR gene editing, in vivo tissue transfection and more.

ZF Electronic Systems is pleased to introduce STEUTE's
Series ES 95 SB Safety Interlock Switch designed expressly for
monitoring hinged machine guards or access doors, which must
be closed to insure safety.
Positive-break NC contacts assure circuit interruption upon
opening of the guard/access door. Units feature a rugged,
fiberglass-reinforced, UL94-V0 thermoplastic housing; a 4 ×
90° rotatable actuating head; and IP67, EN ISO 13849-1 and
cCSAus-compliance.
Typical applications include stamping equipment, machine
tools, and work cells.

BTX
+1 800.272.2775
Holliston, MA
www.btxonline.com

Food Protection Trends January/February

ZF Electronic Systems, LLC
+1 800.927.6298
Pleasant Prairie, WI
www.switches-senors.zf.com/us

http://www.bio-rad.com http://www.switches-senors.zf.com/us http://www.btxonline.com

Food Protection Trends - January/February 2020

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