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When someone mentions botu- lism, most people probably associate this nerve-damaging disease with eating food that was improp- erly cooked or incorrectly stored. That mode of natural contamination is still of concern. But botulism has also become a homeland security focus, because bioter- rorists could use the toxins that cause botulism to make everyday foods and beverages deadly.
The toxins are produced by a common soil-dwelling bacterium, Clostridium botu- linum, and several of its close relatives.
Now, a handy test strip that Agricul- tural Research Service molecular biolo- gist Robert Hnasko and colleagues have developed may give homeland security and food safety officials a powerful tool to use against the toxins. When put to work as the basis of a field-ready test kit, the strip, which measures about a quarter-inch wide by 2.25 inches long, "can provide results in less than 20 minutes," says Hnasko. He is...