Applied Microbial Physiology

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The research group has extensive experience of microbial physiology research. The aim is to understand, engineer and control the metabolism of microbes in food and in industrial applications in order to enhance or control their properties.

Metabolic engineering of microbial production hosts

The Microbial Engineering team is focused on advancing metabolic engineering by developing innovative yeast and bacteria production systems to create new biomanufacturing processes for chemicals with applications in various industries, including chemicals, materials, pharmaceuticals, and food ingredients. We are committed to creating sustainable and efficient biomanufacturing processes that contribute to a greener future. The development of robust microorganisms for biomanufacturing forms the basis for a new bio-chemical industry, where petrochemical raw materials are replaced by renewable raw materials from forestry and agriculture. Our interdisciplinary team combines expertise in microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, and engineering, using techniques in synthetic biology, systems biology, and bioinformatics to achieve our research goals.

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Physiology of lactic acid bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used in the dairy industry and other industries based on their interesting products formed through fermentations and some of them for their probiotic properties. In a typical fermentation process of LAB consisting of more than one unit operation, the bacterial cells are exposed to different environmental conditions and as a consequence they regulate their physiological state in pursuit of reaching optimal fitness. Individual cells stand in dynamic equilibrium with the surrounding environment and modulate their composition, structure and metabolic status in a predefined manner that benefit the survival of the entire population. For the bacterium to perform optimally in a new environment, either as inoculum resuming growth in a large-scale fermenter or to survive long-term storage after freeze-drying, they need to have an optimal prerequisite to stand the environmental transition. Cell responses to specific changes in conditions occur on many planes and by different mechanisms operating on different time scales.

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Food safety and foodborne microbial virulence in food and processing

The Food safety group studies foodborne microbial virulence, on population and single-cell level, with emphasis on growth, metabolic activity and virulence expression. In other words, to understand how food pathogens survive, attach and grow in different food matrices, side streams, processing environments, packaging and storage conditions. The genetic and regulatory complexity of enterotoxin production in Staphylococcus aureus is especially in focus. The goal is to understand the underlying mechanisms and environmental parameters influencing virulence to more efficiently be able to predict and prevent food poisoning. The role of various S. aureus virulence factors in bovine mastitis, i.e. udder inflammation, one of the most common diseases in dairy cows is also incorporated in this research. Other projects include biofilm formation in food processing equipment and food safety of novel plant-based foods. We belong to profile area LTH Food and Bio and collaborate regularly with industry and authorities.