Pathogenetix Blog Q Laboratories Evaluates RESOLUTION System for Food Safety Testing

Q Laboratories, Inc. will conduct independent testing of the RESOLUTION Microbial Genotyping System from PathoGenetix, Inc. to evaluate its molecular strain typing capabilities for pathogen confirmation and identification for the food safety industry.PathoGenetix has signed an agreement with independent contract testing laboratory, Q Laboratories, Inc., to conduct an independent evaluation of the RESOLUTION Microbial Genotyping System. Q Laboratories will begin testing the RESOLUTION System in its Cincinnati, Ohio laboratory in April, and provide feedback on ease-of-use, speed and performance in food safety testing.The RESOLUTION Microbial Genotyping System is based on PathoGenetix's proprietary Genome Sequence Scanning (GSS ) technology, a breakthrough in microbial identification with significant advantages for food safety testing. GSS works directly from complex mixtures such as enriched food samples, and automates the identification process from sample preparation to final result to provide actionable information in just five hours, days faster than identification methods currently in use in the food industry.Q Laboratories will evaluate the molecular serotyping and strain typing capabilities of the RESOLUTION System in comparison to current cultural identification methods. Identifying the bacterial strain contaminating a food production facility or causing foodborne illness is a critical step in defining the extent of the contamination and finding its original source. The ability of the RESOLUTION System to derive useful pathogen strain and serotype information directly from a complex mixture, and to shorten the time for pathogen typing to just five hours, would allow for quicker decisions by food companies and public health agencies investigating foodborne contamination and illness outbreaks."We are pleased to contribute to the development of the RESOLUTION System with this on-site evaluation. We are committed to our ongoing contributions to the food safety industry through research of new and emerging technologies. This aligns with our primary goal to provide our customers with quick turnaround time of high-quality test results. The potential to automate bacterial strain typing directly from enrichment could serve as a powerful tool for rapid response to a contamination event."David Goins, PresidentQ Laboratories, Inc.Q Laboratories, Inc. participated in PathoGenetix's RESOLUTION Customer Experience Program in November, where it received an initial in-depth, hands-on review of the GSS technology. PathoGenetix's first round of evaluations for the RESOLUTION System has focused on leading contract testing laboratories serving the food safety industry. Many food producers worldwide rely on these third party laboratories for all or part of their food quality and safety testing programs."We are extremely pleased to be conducting onsite evaluations of the RESOLUTION Systems by highly experienced, industry-leading food contract testing labs such as Q Laboratories," said John Czajka, PhD, PathoGenetix's Vice President of Business Development. "These evaluations are demonstrating the speed and accuracy of the RESOLUTION System, and providing key end-user feedback on its fit and function within high-volume laboratory workflows."Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently begun a nine month lease of RESOLUTION System to evaluate the System for use in public health foodborne illness outbreak investigation and response as part of a three year collaboration between the FDA and PathoGenetix.