RMUTT Researcher Wins a Gold Medal on the Global Stage for Inventing Reaction Tube to Detect Bacteria

Assist. Prof. Dr. Chiraporn Ananchaipattana from RMUTT’s Division of Biology in the Faculty of Science and Technology has invented a ready-to-use multiplex polymerase chain reaction tube for foodborne bacteria detection in Salmonella spp, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus, to reduce time spent to detect foodborne bacteria and increase convenience in transporting bacteria detection solutions. Furthermore, the reaction tube is beneficial for numerous food producers that need to swiftly monitor the quality and safety of large quantities of food produced, and speedily obtain results. The ready-to-use multiplex polymerase chain reaction tube has received a gold medal at the 2017 Inova-Budi Uzor 42nd International Invention Show held in Osijek, Croatia.

Moreover, Assist. Prof. Dr. Chiraporn Ananchaipattana revealed that the traditional method to detect pathogenic bacteria contamination takes approximately five to seven days, and requires a great deal of chemicals and manpower, which is unsuitable for detecting large amounts of food at the industrial level. Currently, there are more efficient methods to detect pathogenic bacteria contamination in food using the multi-polymerase chain reaction, which takes one to two days, requires less manpower, is able to detect large amounts of food simultaneously, and is able to detect up to three foodborne bacteria per test. Furthermore, the reaction tube is easy to use and can be stored for a prolonged amount of time at room temperature as the mixture for the polymerase chain reaction used to detect the three foodborne bacteria are in dry powder form and are coated on the inner surface of the tube. It is also easy to transport and is in a ready-to-use tube that can be used immediately after adding the DNA solution extracted from food.

This invention is a mixture of dry powder, which is composed of suitable ingredients solely for the polymerase chain reaction within a tube specifically for polymerase chain reactions. The mixture in the tube can be used to simultaneously detect the aforementioned foodborne bacteria with one detection, and can reduce time spent to detect foodborne bacteria, decrease labor and chemical costs, and facilitate transportation of such solutions. Thus, the reaction tube is suitable for food producers whom produce large quantities of food and need ways to swiftly monitor the quality and safety of large quantities of food produced, and rapidly obtain results.