Abstract #293
Section: Dairy Foods
Session: Dairy Foods Symposium: Biofilm Formation on Dairy Separation Membranes
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 10:00 AM–10:30 AM
Location: 327
Presentation is being recorded
Session: Dairy Foods Symposium: Biofilm Formation on Dairy Separation Membranes
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 10:00 AM–10:30 AM
Location: 327
Presentation is being recorded
# 293
The role of quorum sensing in biofilm formation by bacteria in the dairy processing environment.
M. Griffiths*1, 1University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Key Words: biofilm, quorum sensing, environmental contamination
Speaker Bio
The role of quorum sensing in biofilm formation by bacteria in the dairy processing environment.
M. Griffiths*1, 1University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Biofilms are known to be a source of contamination of dairy products with bacteria such as pseudomonads and Bacillus spp. This source of contamination will become increasingly more important as the size of milk processing plants increase and the time that production lines operate becomes longer. Biofilm formation is also an important reason why bacteria persist in processing plants. Biofilm formation is controlled by quorum sensing and the chemicals responsible for this cell-to-cell communication vary between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Much research has been conducted to determine if interruption of bacterial communication can be used to prevent biofilm formation and, hence, improve the shelf-life and safety of dairy products. This presentation will discuss the mechanisms of quorum sensing, its importance to the formation of biofilms in the dairy processing plant and the potential for targeting quorum sensing to control environmental contamination.
Key Words: biofilm, quorum sensing, environmental contamination
Speaker Bio
Dr Griffiths obtained his BSc degree from North East London Polytechnic and PhD from Leicester University. He joined the Hannah Research Institute, Ayr, Scotland in 1974. In 1990 Dr Griffiths was appointed to the Dairy Farmers of Ontario/NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Dairy Microbiology in the Food Science Department, University of Guelph. Dr Griffiths was a founder and the first Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety.
His research interests include rapid detection of foodborne pathogens; factors controlling growth and survival of microorganisms in foods; and beneficial uses of microorganisms. Dr Griffiths has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and appears on ISI HighlyCited.com.
Dr Griffiths is an editor of several leading food and microbiology journals and has served on numerous government and industry scientific expert panels. He was the recipient of the International Association of Food Protection Maurice Weber Laboratorian of the Year for 2002 and in 2016 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Food Science and Technology.
His research interests include rapid detection of foodborne pathogens; factors controlling growth and survival of microorganisms in foods; and beneficial uses of microorganisms. Dr Griffiths has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and appears on ISI HighlyCited.com.
Dr Griffiths is an editor of several leading food and microbiology journals and has served on numerous government and industry scientific expert panels. He was the recipient of the International Association of Food Protection Maurice Weber Laboratorian of the Year for 2002 and in 2016 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Food Science and Technology.
