Early pathogen detection is essential
The world’s population is continuing to grow rapidly, making it more important than ever that food production remains secure and sustainable. However, the emergence and spread of animal and plant pathogens presents a major threat to food safety. Therefore, it is essential that more is understood about these pathogens so that we can protect food production and security.
There are a number of factors that are known to exacerbate the spread of plant and animal diseases. Temperature changes, for example, can affect the transmission or severity of a disease by influencing the biology and reproduction of pathogens or vectors. Changes in temperature and rainfall have been found to affect the prevalence of vector-borne diseases among livestock, as the activity and reproduction of ticks and insects are sensitive to climate variations. Likewise, there is evidence that some plant pathogens such as wheat rust can adapt to higher temperatures and cause more severe disease.
Globalization has also increased the spread of agricultural diseases by trade or transportation of infected plants and animals. Horticultural trade, for example, has led to the introduction of numerous fungal infections throughout the world such as Tar Spot Complex of maize in the United States and wheat blast in Bangladesh. Similarly, livestock trade has led to the spread of devastating infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and the introduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in Denmark.
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Animal husbandry
Routine testing, vaccination, and medical care for livestock prevents the spread of infectious disease and protects human health. Discover how credible reference materials support these efforts.
Plant Disease Research
Rapid identification of plant pathogens and disease management are essential for protecting our food crops. Explore how authenticated reference materials can help.
Animal and plant diseases threaten the quality and production of food and may create significant health concerns for consumers. Rapid identification of the causal agent combined with proper disease management then becomes essential to preventing the spread of microbial pathogens and the decimation of essential crops and animal-based products. At ATCC, we are committed to supporting researchers working toward the development and validation of the assays needed to prevent the rapid spread of disease and protect the world's food supply.
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Whether you’re developing, validating, or using a pre-qualified assay or sequencing tool, the accuracy of your assay depends on credible materials. Explore our authenticated cultures and tools for every stage of the assay development process—from sensitivity and specificity testing to assay validation.
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