The Fundamentals of Bacteriophage Technology for Use as a Food Safety Intervention

This is the first of 4 webinars which will explore the science and application of bacteriophage (phage) technology as a tool to kill pathogens of concern and help food processors mitigate food safety risks. Professor Martin Loessner of ETH, The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, will guide us through an in-depth look at the foundation of phage science, including phage identification, behavior of phages against Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, and will present guiding principles around the mechanisms of phage technology and its use as a tool in food processing. In addition, attendees will be presented with a broad overview on the practical applications of phage use during processing in a variety of food products, including meats, poultry, dairy, vegetables and as an environmental tool for helping to eliminate biofilms.

Register for this webinar to explore the science and power of phages as an additional tool for the food safety toolbox.

Speakers

Dr. Martin J. Loessner, Professor of Food Microbiology, ETH Zurich

Martin Loessner studied Biology at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and Wayne State University, Michigan, USA. He received his PhD from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and was a visiting researcher at the University of Nottingham, UK, Ben-Gurion-University, Israel, and the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Since 2003, he has been a Professor of Food Microbiology at the Institute of Food, Nutrition & Health, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

His research centres around the molecular biology of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and their bacteriophages, focusing on the cell wall and its interaction with phages and the host, and development of novel applications for detection and control of pathogens. The group has many active international research collaborations and maintains fruitful contacts with industry.

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Sonali Sirdesai, Application Specialist, Micreos Food Safety

Sonali Sirdesai graduated with a Master of Science degree in Food Biotechnology from Wageningen University, Netherlands. She specialized in Food Microbiology with a focus on the use of novel antimicrobials and phage technology. She joined Micreos and has spent the past 3 years working with phage-based products across numerous food industries. She has performed nearly 100 trials using phage products on different food types.

For instance, her trials have included using PhageGuard S for ground meat and poultry, Listex for RTE, frozen vegetables and cheese and PhageGuard E for ground meat and vegetables. She works closely with food processors to test, evaluate, and implement phage-based solutions on their product lines. She has helped the industry tackle Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli challenges by applying bacteriophages successfully on different products and in the production environment.

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