#885: Dr Linda Pilarski: Rapid Detection of E.Coli

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Food safety is a big concern for processors.  E. Coli is just one pathogen that can cause outbreaks when people eat contaminated meat, or more recently, flour for baking.  

Testing can take several days to get results.

But Dr Linda Pilarski and her colleagues have developed new technology that cuts that time down to hours.

Dr. Linda PIlarski is a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, and an expert in miniaturization.

DR LINDA PILARSKI    It’s a really exciting new development ,  And it came about largely because Dr Cornelia Kreplin at Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions who brought myself and Lynn McMullen together, with Lynn McMullen being really interested in food safety and my lab being very involved in developing miniaturized technology to test for pathogens.  It was a marraige made in heaven. So we’ve just been able to do an enormous amount that allows for rapid and very, very sensitive testing for pathogens in a whole variety of kinds of foods. 

The testing device about the size of a loonie, and can check for contamination in several foods, from beef to peanut butter.  

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates

Learn more at Innovation Anthology.com

I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates

Alberta Innovates is a provincially funded Corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans. We do this by building on our province’s research and technology development strengths in the core sectors of health, environment, energy, food and fibre and platforms such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and omics. We are working with our partners to diversify Alberta’s economy, improve our environmental performance and enhance our well-being through research and innovation. 

The Alberta Innovates system has roots stretching back almost 90 years

In March, 2016 the consolidation of Alberta Innovates was announced and on November 1, a single, integrated innovation powerhouse, Alberta Innovates, was formed. Two applied research subsidiaries – Innotech Alberta and C-Fer Technologies –  serve public and private sector interests.

The Alberta Innovates system was first created in January 2010, as part of an overall innovation framework developed within the Alberta Research and Innovation Act. At that time, four corporations were established:

  • Bio Solutions
  • Energy and Environment Solutions
  • Health Solutions
  • Technology Futures.

The Alberta Innovates system has a 90-year legacy. Our expertise is built on the successes of:

  • Alberta Institute for Agriculture
  • Forestry and the Environment
  • Alberta Agricultural Research Institute
  • Alberta Forestry Research Institute
  • Alberta Life Sciences Institute
  • Alberta Ingenuity
  • Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
  • Alberta Research Council
  • iCORE
  • nanoAlberta
  • Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI)
  • Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)
  • Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA).

 

Program Date: 2017-07-20