Speaker
Description
Listeria monocytogenes poses a significant risk, especially in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, as it can grow at refrigeration temperatures, unlike many other pathogens. This species survives in a variety of harsh environments, including the food processing environment. Long-term survival of Listeria is usually addressed as persistence and the mechanisms are still unelucidated. One trigger of Listeria survival is seen in biofilm formation that consists of microbial communities attached to surfaces, embedded in a protective matrix. In food processing facilities, these biofilms can form on equipment, conveyor belts, storage bins, and drains. We found 9-12% of sampling sites carrying a true biofilm in food operations. We have studied the biofilm forming capacity of L. monocytogenes in various environments and found Listeria being a weak biofilm former. Once in a biofilm, Listeria is less susceptible to cleaning agents, disinfectants, and even physical removal, making it extremely difficult to eradicate from the environment. An intriguing question is how Listeria co-colonize biofilms. Data show that other species such as Pseudomonas are drivers of biofilm formation, obviously scarcely in interaction with Listeria residing in the same biofilm. We further looked into the genome of persisting clones of L. monocytogenes by browsing a database storing more than 17000 L. monocytogenes genomes. A thorough bioinformatic analysis revealed that single genetic markers explaining persistence do not exist. Conclusively, survival of Listeria in food processing environments is more likely explainable due to failures of hygiene practices than by particular genetic features allowing some clones to persist.
| Registration ID | ECVM25-184 |
|---|---|
| Professional Status of the submitter, who is also the speaker | Professor |
Authors
External references
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