The Rheonix Listeria PatternAlert™ assay is a breakthrough method for rapidly characterizing Listeria strains directly from an enrichment. The method will assist food producers in identifying harborage sites for persistent Listeria, and in tracing back sources of contamination. The Listeria PatternAlert assay provides results in just 6.5 hours after a presumptive positive screen, enabling users to take rapid action to reduce the risk of contamination and recall.

Current strain typing methods can take up to two weeks and require an isolate in pure culture. The Listeria PatternAlert assay, which is performed using the fully automated Encompass Optimum™ workstation, enables users to detect molecular patterns rapidly and without the need for an isolate. Each result can be matched against a user’s database of previously observed patterns to identify trends across locations and time.

The Listeria PatternAlert assay detects the presence or absence of independently occurring genetic targets, allowing differentiation into thousands of potential patterns. The assay has the ability to detect multiple strains in an enrichment, even at very low concentrations.

Features of the method include:

• Rapid identification of recurring Listeria patterns
• Actionable results 6.5 hours after positive screen by any standard detection method
• Direct from positive enrichment—no isolate required
• Runs on fully automated Encompass Optimum™ workstation
• Includes Listeria spp. confirmation; L. monocytogenes confirmation optional
• User-specific database of patterns