KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (RFD News) — Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been working to trace the parasite behind cyclosporiasis cases across the country.
Lab Director Scott Lenaghan said the facility is the only place in Tennessee conducting the DNA-based analysis. Results are passed on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tennessee Department of Health.
“Our primary goal – we get samples from the Tennessee Department of Health – and our goal is to really kind of bar code the samples. Identify if you were infected, if your neighbor was infected, whether or not you were infected with the exact same species of organism.”
UTIA Agricultural Synthetic Biology’s Aaron Baumann runs samples through a series of chemical buffers to isolate the organism, allowing the lab to target specific DNA sequences and compare them with other cases.
“Based on how related those sequences are, we can get an idea of whether these organisms came from a single population or across multiple populations across multiple states. So it’s sort of like looking at a family tree.”
The results can help researchers alert national authorities and potentially trace outbreaks that could lead to recalls. Tennessee has reported about 200 cases during the outbreak, compared with more than 10,000 nationally, many in the Upper Midwest.
Funding for UTIA’s cyclospora DNA testing has ended, though related testing continues at the lab.
