Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-01940, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : McMullen, Lynn (University of Alberta), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Alberta, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Discovery Grants Program - Individual, program name french : Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles, program purpose english : Consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed, convenient food products has resulted in a tremendous increase in the availability of refrigerated, minimally processed, preservative-free food products. Refrigeration is the only hurdle to the growth and survival of foodborne pathogens in these foods, and outbreaks of foodborne illness have been documented. Lactic acid bacteria produce antibacterial peptides, known as bacteriocins, which inhibit the growth of organisms closely related to the producer strain. Many bacteriocins have been purified and characterized, and we have demonstrated the effectiveness of bacteriocins to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic organisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated foods. Increased emphasis on more &ldquo;natural&rdquo; food preservatives and the move to lower sodium concentrations in processed foods has created a niche for bacteriocins in food preservation and safety. 
One of the hurdles in research on bacteriocins is the lack of methods for detection of bacteriocins in food products. As the use of bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing organisms expands in the future, the need for further development of sensitive analytical techniques for detection will increase. We developed a sensitive assay for bacteriocins in culture supernatants using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. To date, we have not been able to detect the production of class II bacteriocins in foods. The proposed research aims to develop a method to detect the production of bacteriocins in food and to develop a method to &ldquo;capture&rdquo; the bacteriocins from the food matrix which can then be analyzed. Once these methods have been optimized, they will be used to monitor bacteriocin production in food products. 
The adaptation or resistance of target pathogens to bacteriocins has been raised as a concern for their widespread application in foods. The proposed research will determine the mechanisms of adaptation and resistance to bacteriocins for different strains of L. monocytogenes . 
The project will train at least 4 highly qualified individuals, with the potential for leveraging funds to support additional personnel. The training of highly qualified individuals will help fill the gaps in the availability of food microbiology researchers in Canada and will meet the needs of the food processing industry for highly qualified individuals., program purpose french : Consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed, convenient food products has resulted in a tremendous increase in the availability of refrigerated, minimally processed, preservative-free food products. Refrigeration is the only hurdle to the growth and survival of foodborne pathogens in these foods, and outbreaks of foodborne illness have been documented. Lactic acid bacteria produce antibacterial peptides, known as bacteriocins, which inhibit the growth of organisms closely related to the producer strain. Many bacteriocins have been purified and characterized, and we have demonstrated the effectiveness of bacteriocins to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic organisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated foods. Increased emphasis on more &ldquo;natural&rdquo; food preservatives and the move to lower sodium concentrations in processed foods has created a niche for bacteriocins in food preservation and safety. 
One of the hurdles in research on bacteriocins is the lack of methods for detection of bacteriocins in food products. As the use of bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing organisms expands in the future, the need for further development of sensitive analytical techniques for detection will increase. We developed a sensitive assay for bacteriocins in culture supernatants using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. To date, we have not been able to detect the production of class II bacteriocins in foods. The proposed research aims to develop a method to detect the production of bacteriocins in food and to develop a method to &ldquo;capture&rdquo; the bacteriocins from the food matrix which can then be analyzed. Once these methods have been optimized, they will be used to monitor bacteriocin production in food products. 
The adaptation or resistance of target pathogens to bacteriocins has been raised as a concern for their widespread application in foods. The proposed research will determine the mechanisms of adaptation and resistance to bacteriocins for different strains of L. monocytogenes . 
The project will train at least 4 highly qualified individuals, with the potential for leveraging funds to support additional personnel. The training of highly qualified individuals will help fill the gaps in the availability of food microbiology researchers in Canada and will meet the needs of the food processing industry for highly qualified individuals., agreement title english : Bacteriocins for food safety, agreement title french : Bacteriocins for food safety, agreement number : RGPIN, agreement value : 195000.0, agreement start date : 2017-05-10, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada