Fundamental Food Microbiology

Bibek Ray, PhD, currently Professor Emeritus, was a professor of food microbiology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. Professor Ray earned BS and MS degrees in veterinary science from the University of Calcutta and the University of Madras, in India, respectively. He received his PhD in food science from the University of Minnesota in 1970 and joined the faculty in the Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, and then the Department of Biology at Shaw University, both at Raleigh. He joined the University of Wyoming in 1981. There he expanded his research to intestinal beneficial bacteria, bacteriocins of Gram-positive bacteria, and high hydrostatic pressure preservation of food along with his previous research activities in the area of microbial sublethal injury. He also taught courses in food microbiology, food fermentation, food safety, and a course titled "Safety of Our Food" to nonscience undergraduates. His laboratory was involved in extensive studies in both basic and applied areas of the bacteriocin pediocin AcH from Pediococcus acidilactici H. In addition, his group studied various aspects of bacteriocins produced by Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Bacillus and Staphylococcus spp. He received research funding from the National Science Foundation, American Public Health Association, National Live Stock and Meat Board, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Army Research, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (with Turkey) and Binational Agriculture Research Development Agency (with Israel), Wyoming Development Fund, and the industry. Before retirement, he was studying the combined effect of bacteriocins, ultrahigh hydrostatic pressure, and pulse field electricity and sublethal injury on the destruction of microbial cells and spores and its application in food preservation. In addition, Dr Ray established collaborative research programs with research institutes and universities in Turkey, Israel, India, Indonesia, and France. He also participated in symposiums, offered short courses, presented research activities and visited Research Laboratories in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, India, Turkey, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Belgium, England, Denmark, Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Canada and Argentina.

Arun K. Bhunia, BVSc, PhD, is a professor of molecular food microbiology in the Department of Food Science and the Department of Veterinary Comparative Pathobiology (Courtesy) at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (USA). He is also affiliated with the Purdue Institute of Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease and the Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Sciences program (PULSc).

Professor Bhunia received his bachelor of veterinary medicine degree (1984) from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya (currently West Bengal University of Fisheries and Animal Sciences), West Bengal, India. He received his PhD (1989) from University of Wyoming (USA) under the mentorship of Professor Bibek Ray and postdoctoral training (1995) from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, under the mentorship of Prof. Michael G. Johnson and then joined Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Alabama) as an assistant professor in 1995. In 1998, he joined the Department of Food Science at Purdue University. He teaches four graduate-level courses: Food Microbiology, Microbial Foodborne Pathogens (major topics: Mechanism of the pathogenesis of foodborne pathogens and toxins and the host-parasite interactions); Microbial Techniques for Food Pathogen (Laboratory course that incorporates rapid methods employing immunoassays, and genetic and biosensor tools), and co-teaches a graduate level journal club, Intestinal Microbiology and Immunology. In addition, he routinely lectures in courses such as Principles of Public Health (both undergraduate and graduate level) on foodborne diseases and Veterinary Microbiology and Mycology on zoonotic foodborne pathogens. Prof. Bhunia's laboratory maintains a balanced research program (basic and applied) to address problems related to foodborne pathogens in the following areas: microbial pathogenesis (host-pathogen interaction), immunology, probiotic bioengineering, and foodborne pathogen detection. His research has been funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, the National Cattleman's Beef Association, the National Institute of Health, and Feed Company.