Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae family. While most E. coli strains are harmless gut commensals, several pathogenic serotypes cause significant foodborne illness and waterborne outbreaks worldwide. In the United States, E. coli infections result in an estimated 265,000 illnesses, 3,600 hospitalizations, and dozens of deaths each year,…