Introduction to food microbiology

Mike Manefield

School of Chemical Engineering

 Microbes in time

First microorganisms?

Formation of
Cyanobacterial microfossils O2 atmosphere algae,
(oxygenic photosynthesis) marine invertebrates
Earth formed insects
mammals

4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0

No free O2
Billion Years Ago
Tree of Life
 Tree of Life
Unicellular and multicellular

Complex cell structure including organelles

Unicellular
Unicellular
Simple cell structure
imple cell structure
 Tree of Life

Bacteria

Moulds

Yeasts

Viruses infecting Protozoa

Microbes
Algae
Animals
plants
 Microbes by mass
Microbes on Earth: between 9.2×1029 and 31.7×1029

Number of stars in the universe: 7.0×1022

Number of trees on Earth: 4.0×1011

Number of litres of water on Earth: 1.3×1021

Human cells in your body: 3.7×1013

Human cells on Earth: 2.6×1023

Generously accounting for differences in cell mass between microbial cells

and human cells for every kg of human there is 100,000 kg of microbes

Microbes drive the biogeochemical cycles of the planet

 Microbial Planet
Louis Pasteur (1822-1825)

‘Life would not long remain possible in the absence of microbes’

‘The Earth is a microbial planet, on which macro-organisms are a recent addition, highly interesting
and extremely complex, but in the final analysis relatively unimportant in a global context.’
Wheelis et al. (1998) PNAS 95:11043-11046
From U.S. DOE, Biological and Environmental Research Information System.

The Carbon Cycle

he Nitrogen Cycle

By Roseramona - on Word and

Paint on my laptop, CC BY-SA 3
 The Sulfur Cycle

CC BY 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42758942 By Pashute - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php curid=18750619

Food/Energy Web
 Who am I? What am I?

1013 cells per human body

50% of these are Eukarya
50% are Bacteria and Archaea
Microbial genetic diversity > human genetic diversity
Every eukaryotic cell hosts an ancient bacterial cell
Who am I? What am I?

Human genome
23,000 genes

Human microbiome
1,000,000+ genes
Links between microbiome and brain function!
 Antibiotics

Fleming Florey
Bakterien sind die besten Chemiker
Dear Lord, I fall upon my knees
And pray that all my syntheses
May cease to be inferior
To those conducted by bacteria
 Wastewater Treatment
Week 3 Week 0

Sphingomonadaceae

Flavobacteriaceae Chitinophagaceae

Week 2 Week 1

Floc formation and activated sludge

Bioremediation – liver of the Earth

Chloroform (CCl4)

www.micronovo.com.au
 Biogas production
www.biogasenergy.com.au
 Biomining
Copper (20%) and Gold (5%) extraction
 Food production

Dependence of livestock and plants on microbes

 Food spoilage

25% of the world’s food is lost to food spoilage

Infectious Disease – including food borne illness

Illness caused by microorganisms

 FOOD 2320/8320
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY

This course applies the principals of microbiology to the production and service of
foods and beverages

It is assumed that students will have an understanding of basic biology and

general microbiology, such as that gained through completion of MICR2011.

Learning outcomes

1. Develop broad knowledge and understanding of how microorganisms impact

on the production, quality and safety of foods and beverages, and see the social
and commercial significance of food microbiology.

2. Become proficient in basic skills for the microbiological examination of foods

and beverages, including the presentation and interpretation of analytical data.

3. Develop a practical understanding and knowledge on how to manage and

control the impact of microorganisms on the quality and safety of foods and
beverages.
 FOOD2320/8320 Overview

Week Lecture topic/s Laboratory topic/s

(1) • Introduction to food microbiology Laboratory safety and microbiology basics
14 Sept • Microbial ecology of foods
(2) • Sampling and analysis Examination of food by microscopy and standard plate counts
21 Sept • Quality control and indicator organisms
(3) • Contemporary analysis methods Examination of food by contemporary methods
28 Sept • Professionals Australia  
(4) • Labour day public holiday Primary beer fermentation (voluntary)
5 Oct • Food fermentation (Beer and wine)
 
(5) • Food Fermentation (Bread and Cheese) • Progress exam (30%)
12 Oct • Food spoilage  
(6)   • Secondary beer fermentation (voluntary)
19 Oct  
(7) Foodborne illness (Salmonella, Escherichia, Campylobacter, Foodborne pathogens
26 Oct Vibrio)
(8) Foodborne illness (Listeria, Staphylococcus and spore forming Foodborne pathogens
2 Nov bacteria)  
 
(9) Foodborne illness (Viruses, mycotoxins and toxigenic algae) Foodborne pathogens
9 Nov    
(10) Course review • Practical exam (30%)
16 Nov • Assignment due (40%)
Lab schedule
 FOOD2320/8320 Assessment

Assessment Issue Due Learning

Weight Assessment criteria
item date date outcomes
This one-hour quiz held at the beginning of the laboratory time slot in PE1.1, PE1.2,
Week 5 will use 6 short answer questions (paragraph length answers) to PE1.3, PE2.1
assess individual student understanding of laboratory and lecture
Progress Exam 30% 14/10 14/10
materials delivered in Weeks 1-5. We aim to provide feedback within two
weeks of completion. The examination encourages regular study and
engagement with core concepts in food microbiology.
A practical examination will be held in Week 10. The exam tests basic PE1.1, PE1.2,
laboratory skills, as well as interpretation of materials provided to you at PE1.3, PE2.1
Practical Exam 30% 18/11 18/11 workstations. This item assesses practical skills and reflects the
professional need to interpret microbiological materials and data.
The assignment requires you to investigate the most pressing food borne PE1.1, PE1.2,
Assignment 40% Due 20/11 illness in a country of your choice. PE1.3, PE2.1

To pass the course:

1) your total marks for the course must be at least 50%
2) you must attend at least 80% of the laboratory classes
FOOD2320/8320 Text book
 Food microbiology is multidisciplinary
Taxonomy
Ecology
Biochemistry
Physiology
Molecular biology
Bioinformatics

Food microbiology involves complex challenges

Molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology and
ecology of plants, animals and microbes
Chemical and physical properties of the food matrix
Total chain, pre-and post-harvest concepts
Sensory science
Food-law interface
 The food microbiology mission

To understand and manage the impact of microorganisms on product quality

and safety, and process efficiency.

Systematic investigation is needed to:

1. Isolate, enumerate, identify species and strains that grow at different

stages throughout the total production chain (farm to fork)
2. Understand the biochemistry, physiology and molecular biology of this
growth
3. Correlate microbial growth and activity with changes to the chemical and
physical properties of the food
4. Correlate these changes to sensory and safety acceptability of the
product
5. Link all this information to optimized process efficiency and quality
assurance initiatives
Leeuwenhoek
(1632-1723)

Microscopy and microbes

 Pasteur (1822-1895)

Immunisation, fermentation, pasteurisation

 Winogradsky
(1856-1953)

Microbial ecology, chemoautotrophy, elemental cycling

Taxonomy is an important aspect of food microbiology
Taxonomy is the science concerned with organism classification.

Nomenclature - naming of organisms

Classification - grouping of organisms
Identification - distinguishing organisms

Features enabling distinction between organisms

• Classical: morphology (shape, size); chemical composition;
structure (cytology); physiology (growth); biochemistry
(reactions).

• Molecular: DNA base composition; DNA homology; DNA

sequences of ribosomal genes, other genes.
Food Microbiology
How microbes harvest energy from chemicals
 Energy source is…

Chemicals = Chemotrophy

or

Light = Phototrophy
 Chemical energy source is…

Organic = Organotrophy

or

Inorganic = Lithotrophy
 Chemotrophy
Chemoorganotrophy

Glucose Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemoorganotrophic bacterium
(eg. Escherichia coli)
 Harvesting Energy

e- e-
O2
Glucose Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

Redox and respiration

e - Indivisible subatomic
particles with a negative
elementary charge
 Chemotrophy
Chemoorganotrophy

Glucose Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemoorganotrophic bacterium
(eg. Escherichia coli)
 Respiration
Electron Donor

Electron Acceptor

Harvesting energy from the transfer of electrons

 Respiration
Electron Donor

Energy harvest

Electron Acceptor

Harvesting energy from the transfer of electrons

 Respiration
Electron Donor

Energy harvest

Electron Acceptor

Harvesting energy from the transfer of electrons

 Chemotrophy
Chemoorganotrophy

Glucose Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemoorganotrophic bacterium
(eg. Escherichia coli)

Good for research

 Chemotrophy
Chemoorganotrophy

Acetate Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemoorganotrophic bacterium
(eg. Aeromonas hydrophila)

Good for treating municipal and industrial wastewater

 Chemotrophy
Chemoorganotrophy
Electron Acceptors

Acetate Oxygen
(Electron Donor) Nitrate (NRB)
Iron (IRB)
Copper
e- e- Manganese
Uranium
Arsenate
Organohalides
Sulphate (SRB)
Chemoorganotrophs Carbon dioxide
or
electrodes

Good for biomining, bioremediation and biogas production

 Chemotrophy
Chemolithotrophy

Ammonia Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemolithotrophic bacterium
(eg. Escherichia coli)
 Chemotrophy
Chemolithotrophy

Ammonia Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemolithotrophic bacterium
(eg. Nitrosomonas nitrosa)
 Chemotrophy
Chemolithotrophy

Ferric Iron Oxygen

(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-
Fe 3+

Chemolithotrophic bacterium
(eg. Azospira oryzae)
 Chemotrophy
Chemolithotrophy

Hydrogen Oxygen
(Electron Donor) (Electron Acceptor)

e- e-

Chemolithotrophic bacterium
(eg. Ralstonia eutropha)
Fermentation
There are many different definitions.
Strictly speaking fermentation is energy harvesting involving substrate level phosphorylation instead of respiration.

Here are some other definitions…

• Fermentation is a metabolic process that consumes sugar in the absence of oxygen. The
products are organic acids, gases, or alcohol. It occurs in yeast and bacteria, and also in oxygen-
starved muscle cells, as in the case of lactic acid fermentation.

• Fermentation is the foaming that occurs during the manufacture of wine and beer, a process at
least 10,000 years old

• Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other

microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.

• Fermentation is any biological process in a bioreactor.

Summary

• Life history
• Microbial diversity
• Microbial abundance
• Microbial influence on biogeochemical cycles
• Microbes and us
• Microorganisms and their roles in human activity
• Energy generation in microbiology