U.S to Build Database of 100,000 Food Pathogen Genomes, FDA Reveals

U.S. scientists plan to map the genetic codes of 100,000 foodborne pathogens, including salmonella, listeria and E. coli, in a five-year effort to find more rapid resolutions to outbreaks that sicken consumers. The sequences will be put in a public database and serve as the nation’s road map for creating tests that identify harmful microorganisms and provide clues to their origins, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement yesterday. The FDA is working with Agilent Technologies Inc. (A), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of California, Davis.

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