Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Caenorhabditis elegans Research Using Paraformaldehyde-Treated Bacteria
06:58

Author Spotlight: Advancing Caenorhabditis elegans Research Using Paraformaldehyde-Treated Bacteria

Published on: July 28, 2023

3.2K

[Bacterial contamination: should it be detected or inactivated?]

J-P Cazenave1

  • 1EFS-Alsace, INSERM U.311, 10 rue Spielmann, 67065 Strasbourg cedex, France. jeanpierre.cazenave@efs-alsace.fr

Transfusion Clinique Et Biologique : Journal De La Societe Francaise De Transfusion Sanguine
|May 25, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial contamination in platelet concentrates (PC) causes adverse events. Photochemical pathogen inactivation offers a proactive solution against bacterial and viral threats in blood products.

Area of Science:

  • Transfusion Medicine
  • Microbiology
  • Biotechnology

Context:

  • Bacterial contamination of platelet concentrates (PC) is a primary cause of transfusion-related adverse events.
  • Current bacterial detection methods in PC lack efficacy in preventing fatal septic events.
  • Emerging pathogens pose a continuous threat to blood supply safety.

Purpose:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of photochemical techniques for pathogen inactivation in platelet concentrates.
  • To assess the broad-spectrum inactivation capabilities against bacteria, viruses, spirochetes, parasites, and leukocytes.
  • To establish pathogen inactivation as a proactive safety measure for blood products.

Summary:

  • Photochemical pathogen inactivation targets a wide range of contaminants in platelet concentrates, including bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
  • This proactive approach goes beyond simple detection, aiming to neutralize potential threats before they impact recipients.
  • The method inactivates not only bacteria but also viruses, spirochetes, parasites, and leukocytes, enhancing transfusion safety.

Impact:

  • Reduces the incidence of adverse events and septic complications associated with platelet transfusions.
  • Enhances the safety and availability of platelet concentrates for clinical use.
  • Provides a robust strategy to mitigate risks from both known and emerging infectious agents in the blood supply.

More Related Videos

Treatment of Platelet Products with Riboflavin and UV Light: Effectiveness Against High Titer Bacterial Contamination10:32

Treatment of Platelet Products with Riboflavin and UV Light: Effectiveness Against High Titer Bacterial Contamination

Published on: August 24, 2015

14.1K
Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies12:54

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies

Published on: February 13, 2015

19.0K

Related Concept Videos

X-Inactivation01:58

X-Inactivation

The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.
42.7K
Contaminants and Errors01:16

Contaminants and Errors

Effective sample preparation is crucial for accurate and reliable laboratory analysis. During this process, two significant sources of error can arise: concentration bias from improper sample splitting and contamination caused by methods used to reduce particle size, such as grinding or homogenization. Identifying and minimizing these potential errors is crucial to ensuring the validity of the analysis.
Another key consideration is determining the appropriate number of samples required to...
392
Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins01:22

Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins

Heterotrimeric G proteins are guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. As the name suggests, heterotrimeric G proteins are composed of three subunits: alpha, beta, and gamma. They remain GDP-bound or GTP-bound inside the cells and switch between inactive/active states. The Gα subunit possesses the nucleotide-binding pocket that binds guanine nucleotides and switches between GDP or GTP-bound states. In contrast, the Gꞵ and Gγ subunits are always bound together with high...
11.7K
Bacterial Signaling01:30

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
41.4K
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.
Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
60.4K
Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
32.9K