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- Auffray, Charles, et al.
(författare)
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Making sense of big data in health research: Towards an EU action plan
- 2016
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Ingår i: Genome Medicine. - : BIOMED CENTRAL LTD. - 1756-994X. ; 8:71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Medicine and healthcare are undergoing profound changes. Whole-genome sequencing and high-resolution imaging technologies are key drivers of this rapid and crucial transformation. Technological innovation combined with automation and miniaturization has triggered an explosion in data production that will soon reach exabyte proportions. How are we going to deal with this exponential increase in data production? The potential of "big data" for improving health is enormous but, at the same time, we face a wide range of challenges to overcome urgently. Europe is very proud of its cultural diversity; however, exploitation of the data made available through advances in genomic medicine, imaging, and a wide range of mobile health applications or connected devices is hampered by numerous historical, technical, legal, and political barriers. European health systems and databases are diverse and fragmented. There is a lack of harmonization of data formats, processing, analysis, and data transfer, which leads to incompatibilities and lost opportunities. Legal frameworks for data sharing are evolving. Clinicians, researchers, and citizens need improved methods, tools, and training to generate, analyze, and query data effectively. Addressing these barriers will contribute to creating the European Single Market for health, which will improve health arid healthcare for all Europearis.
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- Maes, Sharon, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of Two Surface Sampling Methods for Microbiological and Chemical Analyses To Assess the Presence of Biofilms in Food Companies
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Food Protection. - : Elsevier BV. - 0362-028X .- 1944-9097. ; 80:12, s. 2022-2028
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biofilms are an important source of contamination in food companies, yet the composition of biofilms in practice is stillmostly unknown. The chemical and microbiological characterization of surface samples taken after cleaning and disinfection isvery important to distinguish free-living bacteria from the attached bacteria in biofilms. In this study, sampling methods that arepotentially useful for both chemical and microbiological analyses of surface samples were evaluated. In the manufacturingfacilities of eight Belgian food companies, surfaces were sampled after cleaning and disinfection using two sampling methods:the scraper–flocked swab method and the sponge stick method. Microbiological and chemical analyses were performed on thesesamples to evaluate the suitability of the sampling methods for the quantification of extracellular polymeric substancecomponents and microorganisms originating from biofilms in these facilities. The scraper–flocked swab method was mostsuitable for chemical analyses of the samples because the material in these swabs did not interfere with determination of thechemical components. For microbiological enumerations, the sponge stick method was slightly but not significantly moreeffective than the scraper–flocked swab method. In all but one of the facilities, at least 20% of the sampled surfaces had more than102 CFU/100 cm2. Proteins were found in 20% of the chemically analyzed surface samples, and carbohydrates and uronic acidswere found in 15 and 8% of the samples, respectively. When chemical and microbiological results were combined, 17% of thesampled surfaces were contaminated with both microorganisms and at least one of the analyzed chemical components; thus, thesesurfaces were characterized as carrying biofilm. Overall, microbiological contamination in the food industry is highly variable byfood sector and even within a facility at various sampling points and sampling times.
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- Maes, Sharon, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Identification and Spoilage Potential of the Remaining Dominant Microbiota on Food Contact Surfaces after Cleaning and Disinfection in Different Food Industries
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Food Protection. - : Elsevier BV. - 0362-028X .- 1944-9097. ; 82:2, s. 262-275
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- After cleaning and disinfection (C&D), surface contamination can still be present in the production environment of foodcompanies. Microbiological contamination on cleaned surfaces can be transferred to the manufactured food and consequentlylead to foodborne illness and early food spoilage. However, knowledge about the microbiological composition of residualcontamination after C&D and the effect of this contamination on food spoilage is lacking in various food sectors. In this study,we identified the remaining dominant microbiota on food contact surfaces after C&D in seven food companies and assessed thespoilage potential of the microbiota under laboratory conditions. The dominant microbiota on surfaces contaminated at 102CFU/100 cm2 after C&D was identified based on 16S rRNA sequences. The ability of these microorganisms to hydrolyzeproteins, lipids, and phospholipids, ferment glucose and lactose, produce hydrogen sulfide, and degrade starch and gelatin alsowas evaluated. Genera that were most abundant among the dominant microbiota on food contact surfaces after C&D werePseudomonas, Microbacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. Pseudomonas spp. were identified infive of the participating food companies, and 86.8% of the isolates evaluated had spoilage potential in the laboratory tests.Microbacterium and Stenotrophomonas spp. were identified in five and six of the food companies, respectively, and all testedisolates had spoilage potential. This information will be useful for food companies in their quest to characterize surfacecontamination after C&D, to identify causes of microbiological food contamination and spoilage, and to determine the need formore thorough C&D.
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- Maes, Sharon, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Occurrence and characterisation of biofilms in drinking water systems of broiler houses
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2180. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Water quality in the drinking water system (DWS) plays an important role in the general health andperformance of broiler chickens. Conditions in the DWS of broilers are ideal for microbial biofilm formation. Sincepathogens might reside within these biofilms, they serve as potential source of waterborne transmission ofpathogens to livestock and humans. Knowledge about the presence, importance and composition of biofilms inthe DWS of broilers is largely missing. In this study, we therefore aim to monitor the occurrence, and chemicallyand microbiologically characterise biofilms in the DWS of five broiler farms.Results: The bacterial load after disinfection in DWSs was assessed by sampling with a flocked swab followed byenumerations of total aerobic flora (TAC) and Pseudomonas spp. The dominant flora was identified and theirbiofilm-forming capacity was evaluated. Also, proteins, carbohydrates and uronic acids were quantified to analysethe presence of extracellular polymeric substances of biofilms. Despite disinfection of the water and the DWS, averageTAC was 6.03 ± 1.53 log CFU/20cm2. Enumerations for Pseudomonas spp. were on average 0.88 log CFU/20cm2 lower.The most identified dominant species from TAC were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas geniculata andPseudomonas aeruginosa. However at species level, most of the identified microorganisms were farm specific. Almostall the isolates belonging to the three most abundant species were strong biofilm producers. Overall, 92% of all testedmicroorganisms were able to form biofilm under lab conditions. Furthermore, 63% of the DWS surfaces appeared tobe contaminated with microorganisms combined with at least one of the analysed chemical components, which isindicative for the presence of biofilm.Conclusions: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas geniculata and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are considered asopportunistic pathogens and could consequently be a potential risk for animal health. Additionally, the biofilm-formingcapacity of these organisms could promote attachment of other pathogens such as Campylobacter spp. andSalmonella spp.
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- Maes, Sharon, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Pseudomonas putida as a potential biocontrol agent against Salmonella Java biofilm formation in the drinking water system of broiler houses
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2180. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Environmental biofilms can induce attachment and protection of other microorganisms includingpathogens, but can also prevent them from invasion and colonization. This opens the possibility for so-calledbiocontrol strategies, wherein microorganisms are applied to control the presence of other microbes. The potentialfor both positive and negative interactions between microbes, however, raises the need for in depthcharacterization of the sociobiology of candidate biocontrol agents (BCAs). The inside of the drinking water system(DWS) of broiler houses is an interesting niche to apply BCAs, because contamination of these systems withpathogens plays an important role in the infection of broiler chickens and consequently humans. In this study,Pseudomonas putida, which is part of the natural microbiota in the DWS of broiler houses, was evaluated as BCA against the broiler pathogen Salmonella Java.Results: To study the interaction between these species, an in vitro model was developed simulating biofilmformation in the drinking water system of broilers. Dual-species biofilms of P. putida strains P1, P2, and P3 with S.Java were characterized by competitive interactions, independent of P. putida strain, S. Java inoculum density andapplication order. When equal inocula of S. Java and P. putida strains P1 or P3 were simultaneously applied, theinteraction was characterized by mutual inhibition, whereas P. putida strain P2 showed an exploitation of S. Java.Lowering the inoculum density of S. Java changed the interaction with P. putida strain P3 also into an exploitationof S. Java. A further increase in S. Java inhibition was established by P. putida strain P3 forming a mature biofilmbefore applying S. Java.Conclusions: This study provides the first results showing the potential of P. putida as BCA against S. Java in thebroiler environment. Future work should include more complex microbial communities residing in the DWS,additional Salmonella strains as well as chemicals typically used to clean and disinfect the system.
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- Sadiq, Faizan Ahmed, et al.
(författare)
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Synergistic interactions in multispecies biofilm combinations of bacterial isolates recovered from diverse food processing industries
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - 1664-302X. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most biofilms within the food industry are formed by multiple bacterial specieswhich co-exist on surfaces as a result of interspecies interactions. These ecologicalinteractions often make these communities tolerant against antimicrobials.Our previous work led to the identification of a large number (327) of highlydiverse bacterial species on food contact surfaces of the dairy, meat, and eggindustries after routine cleaning and disinfection (C&D) regimes. In the currentstudy, biofilm-forming ability of 92 bacterial strains belonging to 26 genera and42 species was assessed and synergistic interactions in biofilm formation wereinvestigated by coculturing species in all possible four-species combinations.Out of the total 455 four-species biofilm combinations, greater biofilm massproduction, compared to the sum of biofilm masses of individual species inmonoculture, was observed in 34 combinations. Around half of the combinationsshowed synergy in biofilm mass > 1.5-fold and most of the combinations belongedto dairy strains. The highest synergy (3.13-fold) was shown by a combination ofdairy strains comprising Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Bacillus licheniformis,Microbacterium lacticum, and Calidifontibacter indicus. The observed synergy inmixed biofilms turned out to be strain-specific rather than species-dependent.All biofilm combinations showing remarkable synergy appeared to have certaincommon species in all combinations which shows there are keystone industryspecificbacterial species which stimulate synergy or antagonism and this mayhave implication for biofilm control in the concerned food industries.
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