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FOOD2480/2667 Advanced Food Microbiology
SESSION 2, 2006 (DRAFT)
- Course staff
- General course information
Course staff
| Name |
Location |
Phone |
Fax |
Email |
| Professor Graham Fleet |
Room 112
Building B8c |
9385 5664 |
9385 5931 |
g.fleet@unsw.edu.au |
The course is coordinated by Professor Graham Fleet (Room 112,
Building B8c, tel: 9385 5664, fax: 9385 5931, e-mail: g.fleet@unsw.edu.au).
He is the contact point for enquiries and resolution of any problems.
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General course information
Outline
This course takes
food microbiology from its basic concepts to advanced consideration
of current issues in microbial ecology of foods, food spoilage,
foodborne microbial disease (including viruses), food and beverage
fermentations and the use of microorganisms as processing aids and
sources of food ingredients and additives. Using selected microbial
groups and commodities, it examines the biochemical, physiological
and molecular mechanisms of microbial growth, survival and
significance in food and beverage ecosystems as they evolve from the
raw material through processing to the consumer. Emphasis will be
on the linkage between microbial activity, product quality and
safety, and practical management of these needs. The application of
molecular techniques and genomics to food microbiology will be
highlighted throughout the course. The topics selected for
discussion reflect research interests and projects currently active
in the Food Science program at UNSW.
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Objectives
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students should have:
- developed knowledge, understanding and application of food
microbiology at an advanced level
-
ability to determine how microorganisms impact on the quality
and safety of foods and operation efficiency across the total
chain of production
- ability to identify current and future research directions
in food microbiology
- enhanced their ability to work in a team
- enhanced their oral and written communication skills.
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Requisite knowledge and relationships
to other courses
It is assumed that students will have an understanding of
general microbiology and basic food microbiology.
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Target students and career prospects
The following students would find this course of value: undergraduate
and graduate students in the areas of food science and technology,
microbiology, biotechnology; professionals in the food or allied
industry and government agencies who are concerned with the microbiological
quality, and safety of foods and production of fermented foods and
beverages.
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Structure
The course consists
of lecture, discussion and laboratory sessions totalling 3 hours
contact per week, scheduled 2-5pm Wednesdays. The remaining
workload in the course will be devoted to completion of individual
and team/group assignments. Team/group assignments will be
presented to the class during weeks 4 October – 24 October. You
will be assigned to a group and given a group topic
(chocolate/champagne/cheese/fresh-cut salads). The group will be
required to give a comprehensive presentation of their topic – “farm
to fork” – integrating microbiology throughout the entire production
chain, including impact on quality, safety and economics.
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Assessment
Assessment will be
based on performance in two take home assignments, a final exam, and
one group exercise. Assignment 1 will cover a microbial species or
group significant in foods, while assignment 2 will cover other
topics in food microbiology. Assignments are to be written in the
form of a "mini-review" according to the style required by the
International Journal of Food Microbiology. The International
Journal of Food Microbiology is one of the top five journals in
the field of food science and technology, with an impact factor of
about 2.5, Graham Fleet and Julian Cox are on the editorial board of
this journal. Please consult this journal for author instructions.
Assignments should not exceed
3000-5000 words. Assignment topics are attached and will be
assigned to students in week 1. In developing your assignment, it
will be important to consult the primary literature (i.e. original
research articles) as well as the secondary (review) and tertiary
(text/reference book) literature. Assignments should provide clear
evidence that recent, important literature has been read and
properly understood. Assignments will be assessed on the basis of:
scientific content and depth of detail; focus and reference to the
questions asked; the relevance and significance of the literature
read and cited; structure and presentation and conformance to the
requested style. Please note that assignments that copy or
plagiarise the work of others will not be accepted.
See UNSW policy on plagiarism (http://www.secretariat.unsw.edu.au/acboard/committee_chairs/une_plagiarism_policy.rtf)
The final exam will consist of several short
answer questions that cover toics discussed in lectures, and student
presentations.
Group
presentations will be assessed on the basis of scientific content,
focus on the topic, literature covered, and overall presentation.
An electronic copy of the presentation will be submitted.
| Item |
Weighting
|
Date |
| Assignment 1 |
32.5%
|
20 Sept |
| Assignment 2 |
32.5%
|
1 Nov |
| Group presentation |
15% |
see program |
| Final Exam |
20% |
1 Nov |
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Lecture and Discussion Program
The dates and respective lecture/discussion topics are listed below.
Lectures will be given by Professor Fleet, with guest lectures from other
academic or research staff.
|
Date |
Lecture topic/s |
|
26 Jul |
Class orgnisation;
groups; assignments |
|
2 Aug
GHF |
Foods as ecosystems for microorganisms (reading) |
|
9 Aug GHF |
Molecular ecology of foods; molecular
biology and food microbiology |
|
16 Aug GHF
|
Yeasts
and their significance in foods (readings) |
|
23 Aug JMC |
Salmonella in depth |
|
30 Aug
GHF |
Microorganisms as sources of food ingredients/additives |
|
6 Sept GHF |
Probiotic microorganisms and foods |
|
13 Sept GHF
|
Tutorial session (group presentations) |
|
20 Sept GHF |
Lactic acid bacteria; significance in foods |
|
27 Sept |
NO CLASS
- MID-SESSION RECESS |
|
4 Oct GHF/group |
Group
presentation; Microbiology; biotechnology of chocolate/cocoa |
|
11 Oct
GHF/group |
Group
presentation; Microbiology; biotechnology of champagne |
|
18 Oct
GHF/group |
Group
presentation; Microbiology; biotechnology of cheese |
|
24 Oct
GHF/group |
Group
presentation; Microbiology; biotechnology of fresh-cut salads |
|
1 Nov GHF |
Exam |
Key Staff:
| Initials |
Name |
Phone/Location |
| GHF |
Professor Graham Fleet |
9385 5664 |
| JMC |
A/Prof Julian Cox |
9385 6063 |
Readings
Fleet,
G.H. 1999. Microorganisms in food ecosystems. Int. J. Food Microbiol.
50, 101-117.
Fleet, G.H. Enzymes in food processing. In Food Biotechnology, Unit 8,
CRC Food Industry Innovation, UNSW. p.1-50.
Fleet, G.H. and Praphailong, W. 2001. Yeasts. In: Spoilage of Processed
Foods; Causes and Diagnosis. Edited
by C. Moir et al. AIFST Inc. (NSW Branch) Food Microbiology
Group, Sydney.
Cox, J.M.C. and Fleet, G.H. 2003. New directions in the microbiological
analysis of foods. In: Foodborne Microorganisms of Public Health
Signifcance. Sixth edition, Ed. Hocking, A.H. IAFST (NSW Branch) Food
Microbiology Group. pp.103-162.
Giraffa, G. 2004. Studying the dynamics of microbial populations during
food fermentation - a review. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 28,
251-260.
Fleet, G.H.
2006. The commercial and community significance of yeasts in foods and
beverages. In, Yeasts in Foods and Beverages, pp.1-12 (see reference list).
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Assignments
- Assignment 1
-
The attached
list shows a diversity of microbial groups which, for various reasons,
impact on the production, quality and safety of foods and beverages.
Through the process of ballot, you will be assigned one of these
microorganisms. Write a mini-review on the occurrence and significance of
this microbial group in foods and beverages. Your discussion should include
the following information about the organism:
·
Most recent
taxonomic status
·
Key
physiological and biochemical properties
·
Ecology
·
Occurrence
(frequency of incidence, population levels) and significance in foods and
beverages
·
Factors
affecting survival and growth in foods/beverages
·
Quality
control and assurance
·
Methods for
isolation, enumeration and identification (including modern, rapid,
molecular methods)
·
Future
research needs.
Your review
should be written according to the instruction and style of the
International Journal of Food Microbiology and should be about 3000-5000
words i.e. 10-15 A4-sized pages, typed double-spaced (this does not include
the reference list). Consider the judicious use of Tables and Figures if
necessary. It will contribute 32.5% to your final course mark.
Submission date 20 September.
List of
microbial groups
|
Pseudomonas
Brevibacterium
Lactobacillus
Micrococcus
Vibrio |
Bacillus
Clostridium
Propionibacterium
Pediococcus
Acetobacter |
Zygosaccharomyces
Yarrowia
Kloeckera /
Hanseniaspora
Debaryomyces
Botrytis
Penicillium
Aspergillus |
- Assignment 2
-
The attached
list shows a range of food ingredients, additives or processing aids that
can be sourced from microorganisms. Through a process of ballot, you will
be assigned one of these products. Write a mini-review on how
microorganisms could be used to produce the product. Your discussion should
cover:
·
Why or how
this product is important in food manufacture; the local and global market
for this product.
·
The various
sources of this product and any advantages of producing it from
microorganisms.
·
The
selection of microorganisms to produce the product.
·
The process
for its production by microorganisms.
·
How modern
biotechnology could enhance its production by microorganisms.
·
Future
research needs.
·
Anything
else you can think of (that is relevant!!)
Your
review should be written according to the instruction and style of the
International Journal of Food Microbiology and should be about 3000-5000
words, i.e. 10-15 x A4 sized pages, typed double-spaced (this does not
include the reference list). Consider the judicious use of Tables and
Figures if necessary. It will contribute 32.5% to your final course mark.
Submission date 1 November
List of products :
|
·
Polysaccharides |
·
Starter cultures for food and beverage industries |
|
·
Amino acids |
·
Biocontrol agents |
|
·
Flavours |
·
Colours |
|
·
Vitamins |
|
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Attendance and absence
The School policies on attendance at classes and absence from or failure
to submit assessment tasks reflect the policies provided in the
UNSW
Student Guide 2006. Students who fail to attend at least 80% of
classes may be refused permission to sit for examinations or other forms
of assessment. Consideration of non-attendance at classes and/or non-completion
of assessment tasks will be given to students who experience genuine
and properly documented cases of hardship, such as recent
bereavement or serious illness. The process by which consideration is
granted is documented in the UNSW Student Guide 2006.
Submission of assignments
Assignments must be submitted by the due date, unless another date
is negotiated with the academic coordinator of the course. Assignments
should be submitted with a completed assignment cover sheet, available
from the Homepage of this Food Science and Technology website [LINK], and placed into the assignment
box near the bag racks at the eastern end of the teaching laboratory
(Building C8a).
Academic misconduct (plagiarism)
Plagiarism policy
|
Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another
as one's own.*
Examples include:
-
direct
duplication of the thoughts or work of another, including by
copying material, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report
or other written document (whether published or unpublished),
composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer
program or software, web site, Internet, other electronic
resource, or another person's assignment without appropriate
acknowledgement;
-
paraphrasing
another person's work with very minor changes keeping the
meaning, form and/or progression of ideas of the original;
-
piecing
together sections of the work of others into a new whole;
-
presenting an
assessment item as independent work when it has been produced in
whole or part in collusion with other people, for example,
another student or a tutor; and,
-
claiming
credit for a proportion a work contributed to a group assessment
item that is greater than that actually contributed. **
Submitting an assessment item that has already been submitted for
academic credit elsewhere may also be considered plagiarism.
Knowingly permitting your work to be copied by another student may
also be considered to be plagiarism. An assessment item produced in
oral, not written form, or involving live presentation, may
similarly contain plagiarised material.
The
inclusion of the thoughts or work of another with attribution
appropriate to the academic discipline does not amount to
plagiarism.
Students are reminded of their Rights and Responsibilities in
respect of plagiarism, as set out in the University Undergraduate
and Postgraduate Handbooks, and are encouraged to seek advice from
academic staff whenever necessary to ensure they avoid plagiarism in
all its forms.
The
Learning Centre website is the central University online resource
for staff and student information on plagiarism and academic
honesty. It can be located at:
www.lc.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
The
Learning Centre also provides substantial educational written
materials, workshops, and tutorials to aid students, for example,
in:
-
correct
referencing practices;
-
paraphrasing,
summarising, essay writing, and time management;
-
appropriate
use of, and attribution for, a range of materials including
text, images, formulae and concepts.
Individual assistance is available on request from The Learning
Centre.
Students are also reminded that careful time management is an
important part of study and one of the identified causes of
plagiarism is poor time management. Students should allow sufficient
time for research, drafting, and the proper referencing of sources
in preparing all assessment items.
*
Based on that proposed to the University of Newcastle by the St
James Ethics Centre. Used with kind permission from the University
of Newcastle.
** Adapted with kind permission from the University of Melbourne. |
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