Understanding how Listeria survive in the food factory

Listeria is a foodborne pathogen that attacks the most vulnerable - from patients in hospital to unborn babies - often with devasting consequences. Listeria outbreaks are now caused by a large range of food types that can be become contaminated with this resilient microbe. Listeria is also unusual in that is particularly hard to eradicate from food production environments although the basis for this is not currently well understood. This project seeks to understand how Listeria is able to survive in food production factories despite all the control efforts, such as the thorough cleaning of factories with chemical sanitizers. Most Listeria strains are eradicated by these sanitizers, but some strains are able to survive, and in fact, persist for months if not years.
In this joint studentship between the Food Standards Agency and the Quadram Institute, the student will use state-of-the-art genome sequencing technologies to identify the specific adaptations that Listeria make when exposed to sanitizers. A new laboratory culture model will be used to observe if Listeria assembles together to form communities (called biofilms) and to identify what genetic changes are needed to form these communities and survive the sanitizers. The student will therefore have access to broad training opportunities in both traditional 'wet lab' microbiology while also using modern approaches and advanced technologies such as genomics and informatics. The information from this project is hoped to help lead to better practices that minimise Listeria survival in the food chain, and ultimately human infection.