Effect of high pressure and thermal processing on shelf life and quality of strawberry purée and juice.

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of high pressure processing (HPP; 400-600 MPa, 20 °C, 1.5 or 3 min) and heat treatment (HT; 85 °C for 2 min) of strawberry purée and juice made from the same raw material. Microbiological and enzymatic inactivation, Brix, pH, anthocyanins, vitamin C, colour and sensory properties were analysed after processing and cold storage.

Promoting Bacillus cereus spore germination for subsequent inactivation by mild heat treatment.

Sublethal heat treatment may activate dormant spores and thereby potentiate the conversion of spores to vegetative cells. As the germinated spore is known to possess lower heat resistance than its dormant counterpart, it has been postulated that double heat treatment, i.e.

Propidium monoazide combined with real-time quantitative PCR underestimates heat-killed Listeria innocua.

The combination of propidium monoazide (PMA) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) significantly overestimated the fraction of viable Listeria innocua as compared to plate counts and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Our data imply that PMA-qPCR must be used with caution as an analytical tool for the differentiation between viable and dead bacteria.

Microflora assessments using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of ozone-treated and modified-atmosphere-packaged farmed cod fillets.

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of a PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequence was used to characterize changes in the microbial flora caused by ozone (O3) treatment of farmed cod (Gadus morhua). Portions of cod were produced under controlled conditions, bathed in fresh water supplemented with 2 ppm of O3 for 30 min, and packaged in modified atmosphere (MA: 60% CO2 and 40% N2) before 4 degrees C storage. Control samples were packaged in MA or air, without prior O3 treatment.

Characterisation of the bacterial flora of modified atmosphere packaged farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) by PCR-DGGE of conserved 16S rRNA gene regions.

The present article describes the use of broad-range molecular analyses to characterise the microbial population of farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) packaged for the retail market. Cod was filleted post rigor, packaged in air or in modified atmosphere (MA) (50% CO(2):50% N(2) or 50% CO(2):50% O(2)) and stored at 0 degrees C for 11 days. To determine the community profiles of the samples the variable V3-region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were amplified by PCR, before the PCR products were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).

Characterisation of the dominant bacterial population in modified atmosphere packaged farmed halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) based on 16S rDNA-DGGE.

It is not well understood why Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) has longer shelf-life than most other white fish species. Our approach was to examine the microbiological diversity of the spoilage microbiota during modified atmosphere (MA) packaging of farmed Atlantic halibut. Portions were packaged with gas mixtures of CO(2):N(2) and CO(2):O(2) (50%:50%) and with air as a reference.

Construction, evaluation and refinement of a large human antibody phage library based on the IgD and IgM variable gene repertoire.

The ability to isolate antibodies against any antigen of interest has become increasingly important as antibodies have proved their utility both in antigen detection, quantification and as specific in vivo targeting agents. To this end, we have constructed a large antibody phage library in the single chain Fv (scFv) phagemid format based on the naive human variable (V) gene repertoire dictated by IgD and IgM. Optimizing each step of the library construction has resulted in a highly diverse and functional library, as assessed by sequencing analysis, large-scale automated expression analysis and antigen screening.