Research Publications (Food Safety)

The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is a dormant state of nonsporulating bacteria that enhances survival in adverse environments. Systematic genome-wide research on the genetic basis of VBNC formation is warranted.

The Pectobacterium and Dickeya pectinolytic bacteria are phytopathogens responsible for several macerating diseases on a wide range of crops and ornamental plants. Recently, bacterial predators belonging to the Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) were shown to efficiently prey on these rot-causing bacteria and reduce soft rot-induced potato slice maceration.

Prodiginines are a large family of microbial secondary metabolites with a core structure of tripyrrole rings. They exhibit not only diverse chemical structures but also rich biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-algae, anti-parasitic, pesticides, and UV radiation resistance.

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag is widely used to promote soluble expression of exogenous proteins, which can then be cleaved by ubiquitin-like protease 1 (Ulp1) to obtain interested protein. But the application of Ulp1 in large-scale recombinant protein production is limited by complicated purification procedures and high cost.

The first weeks of life represent a crucial stage for microbial colonization of the piglets’ gastrointestinal tract. Newborns’ microbiota is unstable and easily subject to changes under stimuli or insults. Nonetheless, the administration of antibiotics to the sow is still considered as common practice in intensive farming for pathological conditions in the postpartum.

Zearalenone (ZEN) and its derivatives are one of the most contaminated fungal toxins worldwide, posing a severe threat to food security and human life. Traditional physical and chemical detoxifying methods are unsatisfactory due to incomplete detoxification, nutrient loss, and secondary pollutants. In recent years, bioremediation for eliminating fungal toxins has been gradually investigated.

Fusarium verticillioides, a well-known fungal pathogen that causes severe disease in maize and contaminates the grains with fumonisin B1 (FB1) mycotoxin, affects the yield and quality of maize worldwide. The intrinsic roles of peroxisome targeting signal (PTS)–containing proteins in phytopathogens remain elusive.

Cordyceps spp. are widely healthy foods around the world with several traditional uses and bio-functionalities. The chemical characterization of ethyl acetate–soluble extract of the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps tenuipes NBRC 111,630 afforded two new metabolites with 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane motif, tenuipesone A (1) and tenuipesone B (2), along with four well-known metabolites (3–6).

Rapid and accurate detection and identification of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are of great significance for food safety, environmental monitoring, early clinical diagnosis, and prevention of the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. Herein, we design a fluorometric aptasensor for ultra-sensitive, specific, and rapid detection of S. aureus.

Necrotic enteritis is a serious economical disease of poultry caused by Clostridium perfringens. NetB toxin of Clostridium perfringens is considered the causative agent of necrotic enteritis. Following the withdrawal of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters, there has been an urgent need to develop alternative approaches such as vaccination.

Rhizorhabdus (previously Sphingomonas) wittichii RW1 uses a diverse array of aromatic organic compounds as energy and carbon sources, including some extremely recalcitrant compounds such as dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran. Extradiol dioxygenases play a key role in the metabolism of dibenzofuran (DBF), dibenzo-p-dioxin (DBD), PCBs, and various other aromatic compounds.

Peridinin is a light-harvesting carotenoid present in phototrophic dinoflagellates and has great potential for new drug applications and cosmetics development. Herein, the effects of irradiance mediated by light-emitting diodes on growth performance, carotenoid and fatty acid profiles, and antioxidant activity of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellate Durusdinium glynnii were investigated. The results demonstrate that D.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) synthesis using an environmentally benign approach, as well as their antibacterial properties. Copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H2O) of different concentrations (2 mM, 5 mM and 10 mM) and aqueous Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaf extract were used to make the CuO NPs.

A total no. of 65 Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from food samples, feces of diarrheic calves, poultry, and hospital patient in large five cities at Northern West Egypt were obtained from the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

Spermidine is an important polyamine that can be used for the synthesis of various bioactive compounds in the food and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, a novel efficient whole-cell biocatalytic method with an NADPH self-sufficient cycle for spermidine biosynthesis was designed and constructed by co-expressing homoserine dehydrogenase (HSD), carboxyspermidine dehydrogenase (CASDH), and carboxyspermidine decarboxylase (CASDC).

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common pathogen in aquatic products, such as shellfishes. Laboratory-based simulated studies demonstrated that V. parahaemolyticus can tolerate high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) up to 20 MPa. However, the molecular mechanisms of high-pressure adaptation remain unclear. Herein, we analyzed the physiological changes and transcriptomic responses of V.

Cellulosomes are multi-enzyme complexes produced by specialised micro-organisms. The spatial proximity of synergistically acting enzymes incorporated in these naturally occurring complexes supports the efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Several functional designer cellulosomes, incorporating naturally non-cellulosomal cellulases, have been constructed and can be used for cellulose saccharification.

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) induced by the overuse of antibiotics has become a serious threat to public health. Heavy metals will bring longer-term selection pressure to ARGs when the concentration of their residues is higher than that of antibiotics in environmental media.

As a novel protein post-translational modification (PTM), lysine succinylation is widely involved in metabolism regulation by altering the activity of catalytic enzymes. Inactivating succinyl-CoA synthetase in Saccharopolyspora erythraea HL3168 E3 was proved significantly inducing the global protein hypersuccinylation.

Mature lysostaphin (mLst) is a glycineglycine endopeptidase, capable of specifically cleaving penta-glycine crosslinker in the peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall. It is a very effective therapeutic enzyme to kill the multidrug-resistant S. aureus often encountered in hospital acquired infections. Fusing cellulose binding domain (CBD) to mLst significantly reduced the insoluble expression of mLst in E.

Applications of microbiome research through metagenomics promise to generate microbiome manipulation strategies for improved larval survival in aquaculture. However, existing lacunae on the effects of sample preservation methods in metagenome profiles hinder the successful application of this technique. In this context, four preservation methods were scrutinized to identify reliable methods for fish larval microbiome research.

Abstract Insects and fungal pathogens pose constant problems to public health and agriculture, especially in resource-limited parts of the world; and the use of chemical pesticides continues to be the main methods for the control of these organisms. Photorhabdus spp.

Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is causative agent of Johne’s disease (JD) in domestic animals and has broad host range. JD infected animals shed viable MAP in their milk, feces, blood, and tissues which get transmitted to human beings directly or indirectly by consumption of animal products, through contact, animal handling and through contaminated environment, aerosols.

Abstract Zearalenone (ZEN) contamination of various foods and feeds is an important global problem. In some animals and humans, ZEN causes significant health issues in addition to massive economic losses, annually. Therefore, removal or degradation of the ZEN in foods and feeds is required to be done.

Abstract Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancer worldwide. Smokeless tobacco (SLT) has been well proven for its role in oral carcinogenesis due to the abundance of several carcinogens. However, the role of inhabitant microorganisms in the oral cavity of smokeless tobacco users has not yet been well explored in the context of OSCC.