110 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019

Lights! Sound! Action! - Germ

killer light and sound make food
safe

Mrs. M. L. Bhavya*
Email: bhavyaml03@gmail.com

A
conversation between two common
foodborne pathogens, Escherichia
coli (Gram-negative bacteria) and
Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive
bacteria), in a swimming pool of orange juice.
E. coli: “Hi, Golu, how are you?”
S. aureus: “Hey, Patlu, I am fine. It is
fantastic dwelling on the skin and nose of
humans, how about you?”
E. coli: “I am great but different from you.
I relish in the intestine of people and animals.
Golu, you know, I am a monster causing food
poisoning and double my numbers in just 20
minutes. I love squeezing people’s tummy
and make them run to the toilet frequently
(diarrhea).”
S. aureus: “Oh, Patlu! You are so creepy.
Even I can match with you in poisoning food
by doubling in 30 minutes, but won’t trouble
people directly. I rather have a weapon that,
in turn, targets them, THE TOXIN. I am a silent
killer. Shhhhhh….!”
E. coli: “Hey Hero, You know, even
some of my family members can cause a
life-threatening form of kidney failure called
hemolytic uremic syndrome by producing
Shiga toxin.”
S. aureus: “Oh, wait! Don’t rush. That is
why people target you more than me. Finally,
they want to destroy you.”
E. coli: “Don’t think that these people
won’t target you; they know how terrible you
are. They use some or the other method to
depopulate us and our generations. They

* Mrs. M. L. Bhavya, Ph.D. Scholar from CSIR- Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, is pursuing
her research on “Light Based Processing of Cut Fruit, Leafy Greens & Fruit Juices for Microbial Load Reduction”.
Her popular science story entitled “Lights! Sound! Action! Germ Killer Light and Sound Makes Food Safe” has been
selected for AWSAR Award.
 Mrs. M. L. Bhavya || 111

try cooking/heat shock, freezing/cold shock,

chemical/preservatives, and antimicrobials to
destroy us, but I can adapt to new environment
easily and become more resistant.”
S. aureus: “What you said is true,
Patlu. I recently heard that the World Health
Organization joined their hands with the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE) to plan strategies to fight
against antimicrobial resistance in the food
chain.”
E. coli: “See! I am immortal superbug,
having the power to fight against antimicrobials,
heat, cold, and whatnot. I am the center of
S. aureus: “No, Patlu! Even you are
attraction.”
looking bluish. What happened?”
S. aureus: “Enough, Patlu, don’t boost
E. coli: “Look, somebody has switched on
yourself. The researchers all over the world
blue disco lights for us. We are in the limelight
are working on the motto: Health First, Safe
now, let’s dance.”
Food Must. Hence, they are innovating
S. aureus: “Yes, Patlu, we can dance. But
newer technologies to eliminate us, such
wait! I am getting a little itchy on my skin. Are
as microwave heating, high-
you feeling the same?”
pressure processing, pulsed
E. coli: “No, Golu. I am not
electric field, ozone treatment,
feeling anything. Oh, friend! See
and many more.”
A conversation between two these CSIR–CFTRI researchers
E. coli: “Let them innovate;
common foodborne pathogens, are trying to do something with
I will search a new way to
Escherichia coli (Gram-negative blue light.”
escape.”
bacteria) and Staphylococcus S. aureus: “Really! What
S. aureus: “Let’s see who
aureus (Gram-positive bacteria), can they do with it?”
will escape from whom.”
in a swimming pool of orange E. coli: “Golu, I think they
E. coli: “By the way, how
juice. are trying to kill us with blue
did you come here, Golu?”
light.”
S. aureus: “I just dove into
S. aureus: “How is it
this colorful pool from the skin of
possible? Are you joking! Killing
the person who was preparing
with light?!”
the orange juice. But how did you reach here,
E. coli: “Yes, blue light can destroy you with
Patlu?”
its high energy. I heard about it somewhere.”
E. coli: “I reached here by the fecal oral
S. aureus: “How come? I don’t have
route with the help of the same person who
anything on me that can absorb light energy
hadn’t washed his hands properly.”
and kill me.”
S. aureus: “Oh well, the pool is such a
E. coli: “Golu, CSIR-CFTRI researchers
sweet and cool place to swim. Let’s enjoy it!”
are brilliant. See, they are playing Holi with us,
E. coli: “Wait a minute, Golu, how come
pouring yellow color (curcumin from turmeric,
you are looking bluish? Are you a chameleon?”
112 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019

an antibiotic and natural photosensitizer) and family members by exposing them to different
shining blue light. This is very dangerous!” temperatures and soaking in various doses of
S. aureus: “Holi and blue light? What is Holi color for hours.”
this, Patlu?” S. aureus: “They are ruthless!”
E. coli: “This combination is called E. coli: “Yes, Golu. These researchers
photodynamic therapy. They use this technique have also performed the post-mortem of our
to kill microbes, treat acne, and cancer.” relatives. They scanned the dead bodies with
S. aureus: “Is it? Hey Patlu! How do you the help of a scanning electron microscope and
know all these?” showed body fluid oozing out and shrunken
E. coli: “I keep updating myself so that I and flattened dead bodies with holes.”
can make a strategy to become more resistant S. aureus: “What! Holes on the body?
and stronger.” How did it happen?”
S. aureus: “Patlu, you are E. coli: “Researchers
a genius. This combination of found that our relatives were
color and light is terrifying me killed by reactive oxygen
as my skin is thin and sensitive World Health Organization species (ROS).”
with a single fat jacket. Well, not joined their hands with the Food S. aureus: “What is this
like you, you have a double-fat and Agriculture Organization ROS, and how will it kill us,
jacketed skin.” of the United Nations (FAO) Patlu?”
E. coli: “Yes, I am a bit and the World Organization E. coli: “Golu, listen
resistant, but still, these Holi for Animal Health (OIE) to carefully. When this Holi color
color affects even me. Hey plan strategies to fight against takes up energy from light, it
Golu, did you read about our antimicrobial resistance in the jumps to an excited state. While
relative’s death because of food chain. coming back to the ground
these CFTRI people in the state, the energy from yellow
newspaper International color is transferred to oxygen,
Journal of Food Microbiology?” which we breathe, to form
S. aureus: “What our singlet oxygen or ROS. This
relative’s death!!! No, Patlu, I didn’t come ROS attacks our skin and kills us.”
across that paper.” S. aureus: “Very dangerous ROS. We
E. coli: “It’s okay, Golu. Let me share have to keep away from it.”
my fiery pain with you! Around 100,000 of E. coli: “Yes, Golu, ROS has killed our
our relatives were killed because of these family members very badly by creating pores
people. They have ruined the lives of our on their bodies and fluids spilling out of it.”

S. aureus: “Oh, no! Please stop it, Patlu,
no more discussion about the demise of our
relatives. It’s heart-breaking. Already, they
have killed 1000 of my peers at one shot in this
orange pool.”
E. coli: “Sorry to hear that; even 10 of
my peers are dead. Golu, can you hear some
irritating sound?”
S. aureus: “Patlu, it’s not just sound; I think
its ultrasound.”
E. coli: “What! Ultrasound … Why are
these crazy researchers using this on us? Are
they scanning us with ultrasound?”
S. aureus: “No, Patlu. They are not
scanning us with this ultrasound (high-
frequency wave), but trying to kill us.”
E. coli: “Oh, no, I am feeling fragile. See
Golu; my peers are dying due to ultrasonic
shock. Around 1000 peers are killed.”
S. aureus: “I pity you. This ultrasound at
least can’t do anything to me. I am safe.”
E. coli: “Don’t be so sure! Even you can
be affected if they add more yellow color along
with ultrasound.”
Mrs. M. L. Bhavya || 113
S. aureus: “Is it? True, I just heard that
eight of my siblings are no more.”
E. coli: “Golu, these researchers are
ingenious and are using both ultrasound and
blue light along with color (curcumin) to target
us. It has a disastrous consequence by killing
10,000 of my friends.”
S. aureus: “Shh …! Don’t be so loud.
If everyone comes to know about this
combination of light and ultrasound, they will
massacre our progeny, too.”
E. coli: “Ya true, but we can’t stop this
anymore! It’s already known.”
S. aureus: “How?”
E. coli: “Golu, see this paper Ultrasonic
Sonochemistry.”
S. aureus: “Oh, my goodness! Can
anybody save us from these brilliant
researchers of CSIR–CFTRI?”
“The foodborne pathogens such as E.
coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella cause serious
ill effects/outbreaks due to the consumption
of contaminated foods. Globally, there is a
demand for the microbial safety of foods. To
combat these food safety issues, numerous
technologies have been developed. In recent
years, light-based processing of foods has
opened a new way to target these culprits.
One such emerging technique is sono-
photodynamic processing of foods using blue
LED light and ultrasound. Golu and Patlu may
have a tough time then.”
“If someone wishes for good health,
one must first ask oneself
if he is ready to do away
with the reasons for his illness.
Only then it is possible to help him”.
-Hippocrates