IAFNS Collection

In the fall of 2001, our laboratory at Cornell University was selected by the Food Microbiology Committee of the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS)* to host the IAFNS Listeria monocytogenes strains collection. This collection represents a unique resource that provides researchers with a standard set of L. monocytogenes isolates, thus allowing for comparison of data on Listeria physiological and genetic characteristics generated in different laboratories. Data generated with this strain collection will be linked through adding all references reporting data on these strains to our database, generating a large dataset that will improve our abilities to control L. monocytogenes contamination and infections throughout the food chain. In 2005, the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee decided to host the IAFNS Cronobacter sakazakii collection at Cornell University.

In 2010, the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee also decided to host the IAFNS Salmonella strains collection at Cornell University. This collection is comprised of diverse serotypes, strains implicated in outbreaks and other Salmonella strains that may be of particular interest to the scientific community.

Strains are distributed for free to members of the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee. 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); a fee to recover costs of shipping, handling and strain preparation will be charged. 

IAFNS Listeria strain collection

The IAFNS strain collection and database currently includes 47 L. monocytogenes isolates. These isolates are grouped into two separate sets, including one diversity subset (24 isolates) and one matched human and food isolate subset (21 isolates, 2 of which are also included in the diversity subset) representing isolates from human listeriosis outbreaks and cases. The diversity subset included in this collection provides a valuable reference strain set for evaluation of new L. monocytogenes detection method, determination of L. monocytogenes survival and growth characteristics in different foods, etc. The matched human and food isolate subset, particularly if used in conjunction with the diversity subset, provides a valuable reference collection for evaluation and validation of subtyping methods. In addition, both strain sets provide a unique resource for basic and applied studies on the physiology, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis of different L. monocytogenes strains. A collection of L. monocytogenes mutants in various defined virulence genes has also been assembled.

As soon as full permissions for distribution of these strains have been obtained from the laboratories that supplied these mutants, these strains will also be included in the Listeria strain collection and made available for distribution. A list of all isolates in the Listeria strain collection, including source information, year of isolation, serotype and ribotype information is available. A detailed pdf history of all isolates included in the Listeria strain collection is available. A list of Listeria strains for which genome sequences have been completed or are in progress is available.

Additionally, a list of isolates representative of all listeriosis epidemics worldwide is available. Collection isolates listed on this page are also archived in the Cornell Food Microbe Tracker database, which provides more complete information on these isolates. EcoRI ribotyping data and PFGE typing data are available for all isolates in the collection. Selected subsets of these isolates for specific applications have also been developed including: (i) 5 strain cocktail for challenge and survival studies in meat systems is available.

The IAFNS Listeria Strain collection was described in Fugett et al.  2006. J. Food Prot. Dec;69(12):2929-38.  The IAFNS Listeria Strain collection citation and abstract article can be viewed in PubMed.

IAFNS Cronobacter sakazakii strain collection

The IAFNS strain collection and database currently includes 30 C. sakazakii isolates. The collection includes isolates from human clinical cases (N = 10), foods (N = 11), and food environments (N = 9). A list of all isolates included in the C. sakazakii collection, including source, references, ribotype, and PFGE data is available.

The IAFNS Cronobacter sakazakii Strain collection was described in Ivy, R. A., Farber, J. M., Pagotto, F., & Wiedmann, M. (2013). International Life Science Institute North America Cronobacter (Formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) isolate set. J Food Prot, 76(1), 40-51. doi:10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-11-546  The citation and abstract for the Cronobacter sakazakii Strain collection article can be viewed in PubMed.

IAFNS Salmonella strain collection

The IAFNS strain collection and database is currently a work in progress. To date, the collection contains isolates representing the 20 most common serotypes among human clinical, non-clinical, and animal isolates in the US and the 20 most common serotypes worldwide. To be acquired are outbreak strains and several strains that may be of particular interest to the research community. If you have one of these strains and would like to deposit it to the collection, please contact Dr. Martin Wiedmann (mw16 [at] cornell.edu (mw16[at]cornell[dot]edu)).  

• View the list of all isolates included in the Salmonella strain collection, including source and references.

*Now an independent organization, IAFNS evolved from ILSI North America

IAFNS Hurricane Florence strain collection

The IAFNS collection contains bacterial strains that were isolated from floodwater samples collected from different sites after the 2018 Hurricane Florence, which caused extreme flooding in eastern North Carolina. The IAFNS Hurricane Florence-related strain collection currently includes Arcobacter butzleri, Listeria spp., and Campylobacter jejuni isolates, which have been kindly donated by Dr. Sophia Kathariou (skathar [at] ncsu.edu (skathar[at]ncsu[dot]edu)), North Carolina State University and described in Niedermeyer et al., 2020. Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 86, No. 20:e01118-20 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01118-20) and Harris et al., 2021. ACS EST Water Vol. 1:2012-2019 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.1c00103). A list of Hurricane Florence-related isolates is available from the IAFNS collection.