Food Safety Research
The Food Safety Centre conducts strategic and
applied research of interest to a wide range of
food industry sectors, including food safety regulators,
with emphasis on mechanisms of adaptation, resistance
and persistence of food-borne pathogens. Through
mathematical modelling of microbial food safety
risk, those research outputs are translated into
tools and systems to support food safety management
practices in the Australian food industry.
The Centre also has an active education
program with postgraduate research, Masters Coursework
and Honours degree programs, and provides an on-line
course in Advanced Food Safety Management. The
Centre plans and conducts courses in applications
of predictive microbiology and microbial food safety
risk assessment upon request.
Centre Director
Professor Mark Tamplin
Email: mark.tamplin@utas.edu.au
Food Safety Centre
Key Staff
John P. Bowman
Associate Professor
Food
Safety Centre
School of
Agricultural Science/Tasmanian Institute
of Agricultural Research
|
 University
of Tasmania,
Private Bag 54,
Hobart, Tasmania, 7001
Australia
Phone +61 03 6226 2627
Fax +61 03 6226 2642 Email john.bowman@utas.edu.au
|
Qualifications
BSc Hons University
of Queensland
PhD University
of Queensland
DSc University
of Queensland
Research Interests
Stress physiology, molecular ecology, genomics,
proteomics, microbial communities, Antarctic
ecosystems, food microbiology, aquaculture,
bioremediation, psychrophilic bacteria, Listeria
monocytogenes, Psychroflexus torquis
Research Activities, Collaborations and
Supervised Students
Listeria monocytogenes stress physiology
Collaboration
with Tom Ross, investigating i) persistence
and biofilms (PhD student Rolf Nilsson);
ii) water activity and low temperature
stress (PhD student Juliana Souprounova);
iii) survival and growth in non-pasteurised
milk cheeses (PhD stuent Esta Kokkoris);
iv) recovery following inactivation (Honours
student Bianca Porteus); v) mechanisms of
resistance to organic acids; vi) disenfectant
resistance and tolerance (Masters coursework
student – Armit Sharma)
Meat and Livestock Australia
Collaboration with Tom Ross, investigating
predictive microbiology and mechanistics
of chill stress on E. coli (PhD student
Jay Kocharunchitt).
Psychroflexus torquis genomics and ecophysiology
Moore Foundation Project - http://www.moore.org/microgenome/detail.aspx?id=5 including
investigating bacteriorhodopsin and exopolysaccharide
synthesis and impact on physiology (collaborators
Connie Lovejoy – Laval University,
Quebec, Canada; Jarone Pinhassi, Umea University,
Sweden; Carlos Pedros-Alio- Barcelona, Spain).
Striped Trumpeter TAFI project
In collaboration with Stephen Battaglene,
investigating the use of probiotic bacteria
in improving the rearing of Striped Trumpeter
(Latris forsteri Castelnau 1872) (PhD student
Mark de’Pannone)
Seafood CRC Projects
In collaboration with Mark Tamplin, developing
a Vibrio parahaemolyticus model for stored
oysters (PhD student Judith Fernandez)
and probiotics of oyster larvae (PhD student
Chris Chapman)
Food Science Australia
In collaboration with Kari Gobius, investigating
the acid resistance and acid tolerance
of E. coli O157 strains (PhD student Santiago
Ramirez-Cuevas)
Australian Antarctic Division
Bioremediation in Antarctica and on Macquarie
Isand in collaboration with Shane Powell,
Jane Walsby, Ian Snape, Martin Riddle – Human
Impacts/Biology Program.
Novel types of ultraoligotrophic, alkaline
lakes associated with nunataks – epiglacial
lakes (in collaboration with John Gibson,
Jimmy Twin).
Grain Research and Development Corporation
In collaboration with
Evan Evans (School of Plant Sciences)
investigating and improving the quality
of
barley-malt for beer production in Australia
(Mandeep Kuar, Postdoctoral Fellow).
Teaching Activities
- Microbial Ecology & Evolution
(KLA398), Lecturer
- Marine Microbiology (KLA200), Lecturer
- Teaching into various units in MSc (Coursework)
Microbiology program
Recent International and National Professional
Activities and Appointments
- Scientific Program Committee, International
Symposium on Microbiology Ecology, Meeting,
Cairns, August, 2008.
- Associate Editor, International Journal
of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
2004+
- Editorial Board, FEMS Microbiology Ecology
2002+
- Chair of Microbial Ecology Australian
Society of Microbiology Special Interests
Group
- International Committee on Systematic
Bacteriology 1999+
Recent Awards
- 1999-2003. ARC Research Fellowship.
- 2002 Frank Fenner Award for Microbiology
(Australian Society of Microbiology)
- 2005 University
of Tasmania, Faculty of Science, Engineering
and Technology, Dean’s Award for
Research Excellence
Publications and Grants
http://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb?indiv_detail_warp_trans+1597
|
Tom
Ross
Associate Professor
Food
Safety Centre
School of Agricultural
Science/Tasmanian Institute of
Agricultural Research
|
 University
of Tasmania,
Private Bag 54,
Hobart, Tasmania, 7001
Australia
Phone +61 03 6226 6382
Fax
+61 03 6226 2642 Email tom.ross@utas.edu.au
|
Qualifications
BSc Hons University
of Tasmania
PhD University
of Tasmania
Research Interests
Predictive Microbiology and
Quantitative Risk Assessment modelling, Microbial
Food Safety Management Tools, ecology of
L. monocytogenes, eco-physiology of Escherichia
coli
Research Activities
- Combined effects of water activity and
chilling on E. coli survival (Meat and
Livestock Australia)
- Kinetics and mechanisms
of inactivation of vegetative, foodborne
bacterial pathogens
- Efficacy of salts of
organic acids on growth of L. monocytogenes
in ready-to-eat foods
- Risks from E. coli
and L. monocytogenes in raw milk Roquefort
cheeses
- Risk assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
on prawns produced in Thailand (partnership
with BioTec, Thailand)
- Listeria monocytogenes
in fresh cut salad vegetables
- Use of anti-Salmonella
bacteriophages as food safety agents
- Enteric
viruses in shellfish (with Australian Seafood Cooperative
Research Centre)
- Partner
in EU Sixth Framework Project: "Pathogen
Combat"
Teaching Activities
- Undergraduate teaching of Microbiology
and Mycology (KLA210)
- Food Microbiology (KLA396)
- Advanced Food Safety Management (KLA394)
- Teaching into various units in MSc (Coursework)
Microbiology program
- Partner in UTas representative to EU
Erasmus Mundus project ISEKI Mundus 2:
international academic network for food
science training.
Committees
- International Commission on Microbiological
Specifications for Foods
- Editorial Board, International Journal
of Food Microbiology
- Organising Committee, ISOPOL XVII, Porto
Portugal 2010
- Technical Committee, The 6th International
Conference on Predictive Modeling in Foods,
Washington, DC, September, 2009
- OzFoodNet, Scientific Advisory Panel.
- Meat and Livestock Australia Scientific
Risk Assessment Expert Panel
- Higher Education Program Theme Leader,
Australian Seafood Cooperative Research
Centre
- Local organising
committee for Australian Society for
Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting & Exhibition,
Hobart 2011.
Publications and Grants
http://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb?indiv_detail_warp_trans+1415
List of Post Graduate and Honours Students
(current)
- Jay Kocharunchitt (PhD):
Physiological responses of E. coli to combined
chilling and dessication stresses (Primary
Supervisor)
- Ann Wanasen (PhD): Quantitative
microbial risk assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
on prawns produced in Thailand (Primary
Supervisor)
- Esta Kokkoris (PhD): Microbiological
safety of raw milk cheeses (Primary Supervisor)
- Belinda Chapman (PhD):
Control and inactivation of E. coli and
Salmonella in acid sauces (Primary Supervisor)
- Steven Cambridge (PhD):
Technologies and information management
for refrigerated supply chains (Co-supervisor)
- Felicity Brake (PhD):
Assessing and Managing Risks from Norovirus
in Australian shellfish (Supervisor)
- Judith
Fernandez (PhD): Protecting the safety
and quality of live oysters through the
integration of intelligent cold chain technologies
(Co- Supervisor)
- Siti Shahara (Sarah) Zulfakar
(PhD): Quantitative Measurement of Factors
Influencing Bacterial Attachment to Meat
Surfaces (Co- Supervisor)
- Jess Phua (Hons).
Understanding the acquired resistance of
Salmonella to phage infection (Co-Supervisor)
|
Mark
Tamplin
Professor
Food
Safety Centre
School of Agricultural
Science/Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural
Research
|
 University
of Tasmania,
Private Bag 54,
Hobart, Tasmania, 7001
Australia
Phone +61 03 6226 6378
Fax
+61 03 6226 7450 Email mark.tamplin@utas.edu.au
|
Qualifications
BS Microbiology,
University of South Florida, USA
MA Microbiology, University
of South Florida, USA
PhD Medical
Sciences, University
of South Florida, USA
Research Interests
Microbial ecology food (seafood,
meat, dairy, produce) and associated environments,
predictive microbiology, food safety tools
and databases.
Research Activities (current)
- Predictive
models for spoilage of meat primals (Meat & Livestock
Australia Ltd)
- Antimicrobial resistance in farm and
non-farm environments
- Quantifying
operator effect on recovery of bacteria
from beef and sheep carcasses (Meat & Livestock
Australia Ltd)
- Predictive
tools to manage pathogenic Vibrio spp.
in species of Australian oysters (Australian
Seafood Cooperative Research Centre)
- Extending
shelf-life of valued-added fish species
in new product development (Australian
Seafood Cooperative Research Centre)
- Predictive tools to manage pathogenic
Vibrio spp. in species of USA oysters (University
of Maryland Eastern Shore)
- Predictive models for the behaviour of
biothreat agents and toxins in food (US
Department of Agriculture)
Extension Activities
Food Safety Centre knowledge management
portal (University of Tasmania)
Meat
Food Safety Digest (Meat & Livestock
Australia Ltd)
ComBase: a database of microbial responses
in food environments (University of Tasmania,
UK Institute of Food Research, UK Food
Standards Agency, US Department of Agriculture)
Teaching Activities
Microbial
Ecology & Ecology
(KLA398/498), Unit Coordinator and
Lecturer
Marine Microbiology (KLA200), Lecturer
Teaching into various units in
MSc (Coursework) Microbiology program
Committees
Fellow, Food Standards Australia
New Zealand (FSANZ)
Deputy Higher Education Program
Theme Leader, Australian Seafood
Cooperative Research Centre
List of Post Graduate and Honours Students
(current)
- Chris Chapman, PhD, Increasing
oyster spat production through management
of microbiological contamination
(Primary Supervisor)
- Judith Fernandez, PhD, Protecting
the safety and quality of live oysters
through the integration of intelligent
cold chain technologies (Primary
Supervisor)
- Trenton Seager, Honours, Temporal
changes in microflora on alfalfa
sprouts and the impact of sanitizing
treatments (Primary Supervisor)
- Jacinta Simmons, Honours, The Effect
of Storage Conditions on the Microbial
Flora of Beef Striploin (Primary
Supervisor)
- Ann Wanasen, PhD, Quantitative
microbial risk assessment of Vibrio
parahaemolyticus on prawns produced
in Thailand (Co-supervisor)
Publications and Grants
http://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb?indiv_detail_warp_trans+19209
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