Amplicon Engineering for Improved Bacterial Detection Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)

Abstract

Ralstonia solanacearum is a bacterium which induces wilt in plants, and is best described as a species complex due to variability in host range, metabolism, and other biological characteristics (Kubota, Vine, Alvarez, Jenkins, 2008). R. solanacearum populations are found primarily in warm, humid areas of the tropics and sub-tropics having originated from various countries through this belt (“Ralstonia,” 2008). Although some strains posing the greatest risk to agriculture are contained to limited regions of the world, global trade in agricultural materials make R. solanacearum a threat to crop producing economies worldwide. In particular, R. solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2 has been identified as a select agent in the Agricultural Bioterrorism Act of 2002 by the USDA (“Ralstonia,” 2008) due to its cold-tolerance which makes it a major risk to the potato industry in temperate regions such as the US and Canada.