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Application of a microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique to monitor bacterial pathogens in beach water and complex environmental matrices

Environmental Science and Technology Letters
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00251

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Abstract

Microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MFQPCR) and conventional quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods were compared side by side in detecting and quantifying 19 genetic markers associated with Escherichia coli and select bacterial pathogens in algae, beach sand, and water from Lake Michigan. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens were among the pathogens tested. Of the pathogenic markers, eaeA that encodes intimin in EPEC was detected in all sample types: water (5%), detached/floating algae (42%), exposed/stranded algae (43%), sand below exposed algae (27%), and nearshore sand with no algae (22%). Other pathogenic markers, however, were detected sporadically. Despite comparable results from the two methods for the genetic markers tested in this study, the MFQPCR method may be superior, with the advantage of detecting and quantifying multiple pathogens simultaneously in environmental matrices.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Application of a microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique to monitor bacterial pathogens in beach water and complex environmental matrices
Series title Environmental Science and Technology Letters
DOI 10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00251
Volume 2
Issue 12
Year Published 2015
Language English
Publisher American Chemical Society
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Description 5 p.
First page 347
Last page 351
Country United States
State Indiana
City East Chicago
Other Geospatial Jeorse Park Beach
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