| Linda J. Harris, Ph.D. |  |
Dr. Harris' Publication Page
My research program is in the area of microbial food safety with a focus on the microbiology of fresh fruits and vegetables and nutmeats. My research team has worked to develop and validate standard methods for inoculation and recovery of pathogens from a range of produce items. We have used these methods to evaluate the behavior of foodborne pathogens in juices, and on fruits, vegetables and nutmeats stored under a variety of conditions. The methods have also been used to evaluate various sanitizers for their efficacy in reducing microbial populations on various cut and intact produce surfaces and to validate thermal and non-thermal processes for treating nuts.
| Trevor V. Suslow, Ph.D. |  |
My areas of primary responsibility and research interest include postharvest pathology and microbiology of perishable horticultural commodities and lightly-processed (fresh-cut) vegetables, the role of environmental and crop production practices on postharvest quality and safety of edible horticultural crops, microbiological quality and safety of ag-water, and other biologically-mediated controls of postharvest pathogens. My current research activities seek to integrate a variety of biological and technology approaches to increasing our understanding of plant:microbe interactions that impact postharvest quality (decay/spoilage) and microbial food safety of fruits and vegetables. In response to the critical need for validation of model system data in field and commercial postharvest handling studies, I have developed fundamental and applied research programs of several key commodities that address risk assessment and hazard analysis specific to the epidemiology of Salmonella, E. coli, and Shigella. We are optimizing and validating combined techniques for the rapid and sensitive detection of these pathogens from environmental sources, farm inputs, and in postharvest processing for the purpose of identifying opportunities for optimal microbial reductions.
