PathogenDx, USDA Team to Expand Salmonella Testing

A research agreement will add seven Salmonella gene targets to PathogenDx's SeroX platform to provide more detailed strain information.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Nutrition

PathogenDx, USDA Team to Expand Salmonella Testing

PathogenDx and USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists have entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to incorporate seven Salmonella gene targets into PathogenDx's SeroX D3 Array platform. The resulting research assay is designated SeroX-HPS.

Why it matters

Traditional food-safety testing generally shows only whether Salmonella is present or absent, which may not distinguish strains of greater public-health concern. Salmonella is a leading cause of gastrointestinal illness in the United States and worldwide.

The seven targets (sseK2, sseK3, gtgA/gogA, avrA, lpfB, sspH2 and spvD) were identified through ARS research, and SeroX currently detects 16 of the more than 2,500 Salmonella enterica serotypes. It is not yet established how the expanded assay will perform across the chicken, turkey, pork and beef matrices under evaluation.

The players

PathogenDx

PathogenDx is a company that develops molecular diagnostic platforms, including the SeroX D3 Array used to detect multiple Salmonella serotypes.

USDA Agricultural Research Service

The USDA Agricultural Research Service is the principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducting food-safety and animal-science research.

The details

The CRADA covers evaluating whether the seven ARS-identified gene targets, and potentially additional markers, can be incorporated into PathogenDx's SeroX D3 Array, which analyzes multiple Salmonella targets simultaneously in a single well. The stated objective is to develop an expanded assay that provides more information about Salmonella characteristics in food samples.

2024: ARS research identifying the seven molecular targets was published.
November 4, 2026: PathogenDx and USDA-ARS announced the CRADA.

Big Picture

The collaboration takes the seven Salmonella gene targets that USDA-ARS researchers published in 2024 and moves them toward commercial use in PathogenDx's SeroX platform. It builds on the existing approach of detecting Salmonella serotypes in a single well rather than relying only on presence-or-absence testing.

For consumers, the research aims to support more informed food-safety decisions rather than changing products directly today. Any practical effect on grocery products will depend on whether and when the expanded assay is adopted by industry.

The takeaway

Expanded Salmonella testing could give food producers more detailed strain information to guide decisions on product disposition and process control. Consumers should continue standard food-safety practices, such as thorough cooking of poultry and pork and avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen.