Food microbiology

What temperature class of microorganisms most cause food spoilage

psychrotolerant

Can some microbes “eat” human food?

Absolutely

What nutrients do humann food provide for microbes

Rich in organic matter and needed nutirents

What factors influence microbial growth in food?

perishable vs. non-perishable, pH, salt concenetration, storage conditions

is food ever completlet sterile

no, food is rarely sterile

What is food spoilage?

Any change making foo unacceptable to consumers

What type of microbes often responsible for food spoilages

pychrolerant microbes

What are the major method of food preservations

• Temperature

• Acidity

• Moisture level

• Treatment with radiation or chemicals

What is phage-based biocontrol

using viruses to control bacterial pathogens

What is the cause of botulism

clostridium botulinum

Why should you not eat food from a can with a swelled lid?

it indicates possible botulism contamination

What is the avergae number of botulism cases reported annually in canada from 2012-2016?

6 cases

What is botulinum toxin used for in medicine?

Treat chronic pain through low dose injections

What is the difference between foos poisoining and food infection

Food poisoning involves microbial toxins

Food infection involves viable pathogens

How many canadians are affected by foodborne illness each year

~ 4 million

what bacterium caused the 2008 listeriosis outbreak in canada

Listeria monocytes

What is a significant issue with listera monocytogenes

It can grow under refrigerated conditions

What was the outcome of the 2008 listeriosis outbreak

57 serious illnesses and 22 deaths

What is single-cell protein (SCP)?

Protein derived from certain strains of microbes

What is the purpose of PCR

To enable in vitro production of DNA

What is the first step in the PCR process?

Denaturation at 98 C

What is transformation in genetic engineering

indroduction of foreign DNA into a cell

What can be done with a custom-designed piece of DNA

Delete genes

add genes

monitor expression

what is Bt corn

corn modified to produce a toxin against pests

What is golden rice engineered to prevent

VItamin A Deficiency

What is the purpose of biosensors

to detect environemntal contaminants

What is the role of PCR diagnostics in medicine

pathogen detection, Cancer screening, paternity testing

How do rapid antigen tests work

Test strip binds to specific viral proteins