Genetic Determination of Biofilm Formation in Heat Resistant Escherichia coli

Despite the effectiveness of thermal inactivation processes, Escherichia coli biofilms continue to be a persistent source of contamination in food processing environments. E. coli strains possessing the locus of heat resistance are a novel food safety threat and raises the question of whether these strains can also form biofilms. Whole genome sequencing and characterization of biofilm formation-associated genes was conducted on heat resistant E. coli isolates from clinical and environmental origins.