SYLLABUS

Advanced Food Microbiology

Food Science and Technology/ Microbiology 736

Winter 2005

January 3-March 17

T, R 1:30-2:48 PM

Parker Bld. Rm 114

Instructor: Hua Wang

219 Parker Food Science and Tech. Bld.

292-0579 (phone)

wang.707@osu.edu (e-mail)

Office Hour: By appointment, Parker Bld Rm 219

Pre-requisites: Micro 509 (General Microbiology), Micro/FSc&Te 636 (Food Microbiology) or equivalent, or permission from the instructor.

Course description: The study of food microbiology involves three major components: foods, microorganisms and hosts. This advanced food microbiology course is designed to help students to build a comprehensive understanding about food-borne microorganisms through studying their interactions with the environment and with the host. Discussions will be focused on critical pathways and mechanisms for microorganisms to survive the environment. Their implication to human health will be addressed. Microorganisms and topics of industrial significance will be emphasized. Genetics and molecular biology approaches important for studying food-borne microorganisms and cutting edge techniques in solving industrial food microbial problems will be introduced. The course is offered in the forms of 1) lecturing by the faculty, 2) discussion and research paper presentations by the students. The class meets twice a week, 78 minutes for each session.

Objectives:

Students will establish knowledge background and develop problem solving skills in the following areas:

proteolytic enzyme system which enable microorganisms to utilize exogenous nutrients, such as those involved in food fermentation;
the microbial signals and sensing systems in bacteriosin production, stress responses and biofilm development;
the impact of microbial stress responses on food safety;
biofilms as the abundant microbial form of living in both natural and host environment;
toxins and other pathogenic pathways that cause foodborne diseases;
disease as a result of interaction between pathogenic agents and the host;
food as an important carrier for toxins and foodborne microorganisms, the effects of food ingredients on microbial activities and host responses;
application of cutting-edge molecular biology techniques to solve food industry problems and to promote human health.

Reading Materials:

Research papers covering lecture topics given in the classroom.

Additional references:

Jay, J. M. 2000. Modern Food Microbiology. Aspen Publishers, Inc.; Gaithersburg, MD.

Doyle, M.P., L.R. Beuchat, and T.J.Montville (eds). 2001. Food microbiology, fundamentals and frontiers. 2nd Ed. ASM Press, Washington, D.C.

Ray, B. 2001. Fundamental Food Microbiology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Lewin, B. 2000. Genes VII. Oxford University Press, New York and Cell Press, Cambridge, Mass.

Cotran, R.S., Kumar, Vinay, and Collins, T. 1996. Robbins pathologic basis of disease. W.B. Sounders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Salminen, S. and von Wright, A. (ed.) 1998. Lactic acid bacteria: microbiology and functional aspects. Marcel Dekker, New York.

van Eden, W., Young, D.B. (ed.) 1996. Stress proteins in medicine. Marcel Dekker, New York.

Useful molecular biology laboratory technique manuals:

Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual, second edition. 1989. J. Sambrook, E.F. Fritsch, and T. Maniatis. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, NY.

Current protocols: molecular biology

Grading Criteria:

Participation 100

Homework assignments (three projects) 300

Classroom presentation (three discussions) 300

Mid-term exam 150

Final: 150

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Total: 1000

Grades will be assigned by the percentage of the total points earned:

90-100% A

80-89% B

70-79% C

60-69% D

below 60% E

The instructor reserves the right to adjust the grading curve if necessary.

Attendance and make-up exams:

Attendance to lectures is encouraged. Students are responsible for all material covered and announcements made during lecture. No incomplete grades or make-up exam or presentations will be given unless there is a certifiable reason such as illness, family death, etc.

Academic Misconduct:

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an educational objective of this institution. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, unauthorized prior possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. At the beginning of each course it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide a statement clarifying the application of academic integrity to that course. Any suspected violation of the Code of Student Conduct will be forwarded to the Committee on Academic Misconduct.

Important Dates

Jan 7	Fri	Last day to transfer colleges or make a campus change
Jan 17	Mon	15th Day Enrollment (Census Date) for Winter Quarter. The University
		reserves the right to refuse registration and/or fee payment after this date
Jan 21	Fri	Last day to register for Audit option for Winter Quarter
		Last day to register for Pass/Non-Pass option for Winter Quarter
		(undergraduates only)

736 Tentative Lecture Schedule

Winter, 2005

Jan 4 (Tue) Course Introduction – food-borne microorganisms: interactions with the environment and host

Jan 6 Taking advantage of the nutrient environment (I): the proteolytic system of LAB

Jan 11 Taking advantage of the nutrient environment (II): carbohydrate fermentation; bacterial phage resistance

Jan 13 Inhibition to the competitors: bacteriocin production; probiotics

Homework#1: horizontal gene transfer

Jan18 Discussion 1

Jan20 Adapting to the environment: stress responses

Jan 25 Alternative food processing-what happens to the M/O?

Jan 27 Forming a microbial community: what is biofilm? How do cells communicate to each other?

Feb1 Mid-term

Feb 3 Biofilm model system-Pseudomonas; mixed culture biofilms

Homework #2 Microbial biofilms: Staphylococcus, E. coli, spoilage food microbes, etc.

Feb 8 Biofilm model system-Streptococcus

Feb 10 Discussion 2

Feb 15 Interaction with the host: general concepts; host responses

Feb 17 Pathogenecity: Listeria monocytogenes

Homework #3 Microbial interaction with the host

Feb 22 Field trip

Feb 24 Pathogenecity: Shiga Toxin; other food-borne pathogens

March 1 Discussion #3

March 3 Polymicrobial diseases

March 8 Research methods: microbial detection; proteomic and genomic approaches

March 10 Role of food ingredients; course summary

March 15 Final