Genome Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions have partnered to support a $1.4 million project that will help protect consumers from Listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness caused by Listeria bacteria.
The project, led by Dr. Linda Chui of the University of Alberta, will sequence and map the genomes of many Listeria strains to identify those strains that are likely to be most harmful to human health as well as those most likely to survive in food processing facilities. This research will lead to faster and more cost-effective ways to screen food for the Listeria bacteria and bolster food safety for Canadians.