WHAT DO WE DO?

Food microbiology plays a critical role in protecting public health and ensuring food security worldwide. As we face current and emerging challenges for food protection domestically and abroad, the study of microbial food safety becomes even more pertinent, and exciting! In the Microbial Food Safety Lab, we study the spread, detection, and control of foodborne pathogens along the farm-to-table continuum. We focus on designing and evaluating chemical, physical, and biological antimicrobial mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission and hence, illness in the consumer. We also study the methodologies to better detect injured bacterial cells in multiple food and animal matrices as well as the phenotypical and genotypical characteristics that allow pathogens to survive, multiple, and even thrive in foods and food processing environments.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

VISION: To become a leading food safety research and outreach lab that fosters scientific curiosity and rigor in Nebraska and beyond. MISSION: To provide robust, credible science-based practical solutions to mitigate the risk of microbial foodborne illness as well as to deliver pertinent training and technical assistance to improve food safety and public health in a collaborative and professional way. CORE VALUES: Accountability, communication, inclusivity, respect, team work, and tolerance.

We believe in and welcome INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE. Learn more about #NCLUDE and UNL policies on Diversity and Inclusion here.

WHERE ARE WE?

We are located on the Food Innovation Center on the Nebraska Innovation Campus. The Food Innovation Center is a state-of-the-art research, teaching, and outreach facility that houses the UNL Department of Food Science and Technology. Composed of 35 full-time faculty, the Department has outstanding opportunities for learning and networking. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, funded in 1869, is the state flagship land-grant university and an R1 institution – very high research activity.