ABSTRACT
CONTENTS 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 149 7.2 History and Key Developments ........................................................... 150 7.3 Advances in Sample Preparation and Treatments............................ 152
7.3.1 Solid Samples .............................................................................. 152 7.3.2 Liquid Samples............................................................................ 153 7.3.3 Surface Samples .......................................................................... 154 7.3.4 Air Samples.................................................................................. 154
7.4 Advances in Total Viable Cell-Count Methodologies ...................... 155 7.5 Advances in Miniaturization and Diagnostic Kits............................ 160 7.6 Advances in Immunological Testings ................................................. 163 7.7 Advances in Instrumentation and Biomass Measurements ............ 167 7.8 Advances in Genetic Testings............................................................... 170 7.9 Advances in Biosensors ......................................................................... 176 7.10 United States and World Market and Testing
Trends (1999-2008) ................................................................................. 178 7.11 Future Predictions .................................................................................. 181 References ........................................................................................................... 184
Because of global food trades, concern of food safety and security, threat of bioterrorism, national and international public health monitoring, food spoilage potential, development and spread of new microbial agents and related issues, and the rapid and accurate determination of the numbers and kinds of microbes in our food systems are important means to help
protect the general public in any society. Rapid methods and automation in microbiology is a dynamic area in applied microbiology dealing with the study of improved methods in the isolation, early detection, characterization, and enumeration of microorganisms and their products in clinical, food, industrial, and environmental samples. In the past 25 years this field has emerged into an important subdivision of the general field of applied microbiology and is gaining momentum nationally and internationally as an area of research and application to monitor the numbers, kinds, and metabolites of microorganisms related to food spoilage, food preservation, food fermentation, food safety, and foodborne pathogens. This chapter provides information and discussions on major developments in many aspects of this rapidly changing discipline. The purpose is to provide an overview of the current status of the total field and predict the developments in the near future.
