Teaching

FDSC 409 Laboratory in Food Microbiology (2 cr) - Fall Semester

This laboratory course demonstrates core microbiological concepts through hands-on use of laboratory equipment and procedures, emphasizing the practical application of microbiological principles to foods and food ingredients. Students develop proficiency in microbiological techniques used in regulatory, quality control, and research laboratories; perform microbiological analyses to assess the numbers and types of spoilage organisms and foodborne pathogens in food; and evaluate how various processing methods affect the growth and survival of microorganisms.

The course emphasizes problem-solving and critical thinking through written communication, scientific data analysis (including statistics where applicable), and engagement with primary literature in food microbiology. Practical laboratory skills are assessed through written lab reports, projects, and examinations throughout the semester.

This course is required for Food Science majors.

Students working on their final FDSC 409 projects.

MBIOM 597 Microbiome Sciences: From Origins to Biotechnological Applications (1 cr) - Spring Semester

This course provides graduate students with a historical and conceptual framework for microbiome sciences, spanning foundational discoveries to modern biotechnological applications. Students will engage with key technological milestones, including sequencing innovations, meta-omics, genetic editing, and computational tools by critically reading primary scientific literature and participating in guided discussions led by peers and moderated by the instructor and diverse faculty. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the appropriate contexts for applying these tools in both research and translational settings.

FDSC 517 Microbial Genomic Epidemiology (3 cr) - Spring Semester (Currently not Offered)

An estimated 9.4 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the U.S. each year, underscoring the need for better approaches to foodborne outbreak investigation and prevention. Genomics-based tools have become indispensable to this effort, extending beyond pathogen detection and tracking along the food supply chain to deeper insight into the fundamental biology of microorganisms in agricultural and food systems.

As publicly available genomic sequencing data continues to grow, the ability to extract epidemiologically and biologically meaningful information from it is increasingly critical; not only for foodborne pathogen surveillance, food safety, and public health, but for any field that relies on comparative genomics. This course equips students in food, agricultural, and life sciences with the epidemiological and bioinformatics skills needed to perform comparative genomics and interpret whole-genome sequencing data for foodborne outbreak investigation and beyond, working directly with data from a real-world outbreak case.

Designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students.

FDSC/INTAG 460 Food Production in Italy (1 cr) - Spring 2019 

FD SC / INTAG 460 is designed to give upper-level food science students an appreciation of the European food production norms through the lens of northern Italy. Students will experience behind the scenes tours, demonstrations, and hands-on activities in the Emilia-Romagna and Piemonte regions of Italy.

The course consists of pre-trip classes/meetings and a faculty-guided trip of a European country with significant food history and culture, Italy. The course integrates and builds upon core concepts in food chemistry and food microbiology. As such, FD SC / INTAG 460 is targeted towards upper-level food science undergraduate students, as well as food science graduate students.

This course aims to demonstrate basic food science concepts (e.g., food chemistry, food microbiology) within the context of brewing chemistry and fermentation science. The course is offered every other year. Next offering will be in Spring 2021.