Research topics in microbiology

• Evaluating the use of process water as a marker to determine the contamination status of fresh-cutleafy greens contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
• Assessing the effects of initial level of contamination, temperature, time, indigenous microflora,sanitizing rinses and package atmosphere on the behavior of E. coli O157:H7 in packaged leafygreens.
• Identifying combinations of time and temperature that may stimulate spores of C. botulinum to germinate and produce toxin under environmental conditions where these spores would normallyremain dormant and that may occur during processing or storage, which may increase the risk ofbotulism in certain products.
• Examining the effects of various temperatures on the survival of viruses in fruits and vegetables toenhance understanding of virus contamination in produce and allow better control of infectionsassociated with foodborne viruses.
• Comparing the effects of various cleaning procedures, including clean-out- of-place [COP] systemswith combined with physical augmentation [high-powered ultrasound, HPU] to remove hard-to- cleanequipment items contaminated with Bacillus spores embedded in complex food matrices.
• Comparing the most effective cleaning agent on the most difficult to remove food matrix embeddedwith B. cereus and B. thuringiensis spores, with and without use of high-powered ultrasound, andvalidating optimal CIP cleaning and sanitizing conditions using B. anthracis wild strains.
• Investigating the survival and thermal resistance of desiccated Salmonella in low moisture foodsand dry processing environments, such as peanut butter, using microbiological and molecularapproaches to identify extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate Salmonella resistance and survivalunder long-term starvation and desiccation stresses.
• Conducting comparative genomic analysis of Listeria monocytogenes for survival in food processingenvironments.
• Determining the transfer rate of Salmonella sp. from contaminated nut butters to food contactmaterials and the appropriate cleaning strategies for food contact materials used in nut butterprocessing and relative efficacy in the removal/destruction of Salmonella.
• Investigating norovirus cross-contamination during food service procedures used in the preparationof fresh produce.

Food Microbiology Research Projects

• Advanced Imaging Techniques to Examine Virus Attachment to Abiotic Surfaces Associated with Food Service and Processing
• Building Capacity to Control Viral Foodborne Disease: A Translational, Multidisciplanary Approach
• Challenge Test on Various Food Matrices with Non-Proteolytic Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus
• Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin Using Fret-Based Quantum Dot Sensors II
• Determination of the germination, growth and toxin production potential of Clostridium botulinum in fresh coconut water
• Developing Validation Strategies for Fresh-Cut Produce Washing
• Enhance Sprouts Food Safety
• Enumeration, survival, and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in ice cream
• Establishing the Endopeptidase-MS Method as a Screening Method for Botulinum Neurotoxins in Media and Foods
• Framework for evaluating the effectiveness of sprout seed treatments - factors to consider
• Growth and Survival of Salmonella during processing of partially sprouted seed products and chia powders
• Inoculation Protocols for Low Moisture Foods
• Listeria Survival and Growth in Fresh Cut Vegetables
• Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogen Internalization into Fresh and Fresh-Cut Fruits
• Mitigation of Norovirus Surrogates in Berries by Minimal Processes of Freeze Drying and High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment
• Relationship of Storage Temperature and Water Activity on the Survival of Salmonella during Drying and Storage of Spices And/Or Botanical Products
• Thermal and Nonthermal Resistance of Salmonella Enterica and Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia Coli in Low-Moisture Foods