Food Safety Research

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).

Environmental Service and Design Pty. Ltd.
Characterisation and optimisation of a “green technology” remediation system for treatment of titanium mining waste leachates

Joe White Malting Pty Ltd.
In collaboration with Evan Evans investigating and improving the quality of barley-malt for beer production in Australia (PhD student Mandeep Kuar).

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

• Partner in EU Sixth Framework Project: "Pathogen Combat"
• 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)

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

Committees

• International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods
• Editorial Board, International Journal of Food Microbiology
• Organising Committee, ISOPOL XVII, Porto Spain 2010
• OzFoodNet, Scientific Advisory Panel.
• Meat and Livestock Australia Scientific Risk Assessment Expert Panel
• Higher Education Program Theme Leader, Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre

Publications and Grants

http://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb?indiv_detail_warp_trans+1415

List of Post Graduate and Honours Students (current)

• Ann Wanasen:  Quantitative microbial risk assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus on prawns produced in Thailand (Primary Supervisor)
• Claudio Bittencourt:  Methods of control of Listeria monocytogenes on cold smoked fish (Primary Supervisor)
• Esta Kokkoris:  Microbiological safety of raw milk cheeses (Primary Supervisor)
• Donglai Zhang: Kinetics and mechanisms of non-thermal inactivation of bacterial pathogens. (Primary Supervisor)
• Belinda Chapman:  Control and inactivation of E. coli and Salmonella in acid sauces (Primary Supervisor)
• Jay Kocharunchitt: Physiological responses of E. coli to combined chilling and dessication stresses   (Primary Supervisor)
• Dean Clark: Analytical methods for quantification of seafood allergens (Academic Supervisor)
• Steven Cambridge: Technologies and information management for refrigerated supply chains (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