CPS Strain Collection

The CPS Strain collection is an assembly of produce-relevant pathogens (e.g., linked to fresh produce outbreaks, recalls, and pre-harvest environment) and part of a Center for Produce Safety funded research project entitled: “Pathogen physiological state has a greater effect on outcomes of challenge and validation studies than strain diversity”. The collection includes Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and relevant surrogate, indicator and index organisms representing national and international strain diversity.

This strain collection was assembled with input from experts from academia (n=6), government (n=5), and industry (n=8) with at least 10 years of experience in food safety for inclusion in the collection. The strain collection currently includes a total of 55 strains, including Salmonella enterica (n=23), Listeria monocytogenes (n=11), Escherichia coli (n=13), and surrogate, indicator and index organisms (n=8). Strain diversity was assured by including 10 most common serotypes (Salmonella), representation of lineages (L. monocytogenes) and inclusion of the “Big six” (E. coli). All isolates in the final collection were characterized by whole genome sequencing using the Illumina Miseq platform, raw sequencing data and WGS data are available on NCBI (Bioproject PRJNA395587). Collection isolates listed on this WWW page are also archived in the Cornell Food Microbe Tracker database, which provides more complete information on these isolates.

The strain collection provides a set of reference strains as a unique resource for validation and challenge studies in produce research and industry. In addition, relevant data generated with the strain collection will be referenced to improve the ability of investigators to select appropriate strains and growth conditions for future studies.

Strains are also distributed to other members of the research community. Requests for strains and for more information should be directed to mw16 [at] cornell.edu (Dr. Martin Wiedmann).

Download a complete list of CPS Strain collection isolates, including source information, year of isolation, and serotype.