報告題目：Exploring the Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis: Uncovering New Research Directions
報告人姓名: Dr Andrea Monteagudo-Mera
報告時間：2025年4月9日，周三16:30-17:00
報告地點：糧油食品學院8號樓8527
報告人及內容簡介：
Dr. Andrea Monteagudo-Mera is a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading. Over the past 15 years, her work has focused on understanding the role of gut microbiota in health and disease and exploring how probiotics and prebiotics can be used to support well-being and prevent various conditions. Currently, her research explores the connection between the gut microbiota and the brain, known as the "gut microbiota-brain axis where she collaborates with neuroscientists to study how gut bacteria can influence brain and behavior, and explore the potential of probiotics and prebiotics in supporting mental health.
Certain bacteria residing in the human intestine produce compounds that can function as neurotransmitters in the host, such as Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). However, little is known about the impact of microbiota-derived neurotransmitters on brain and behavioral function in humans. Their current research seeks to address this gap through a dual approach, combining observational analysis with a targeted probiotic intervention. In this presentation, she will discuss the mechanisms of communication between gut bacteria and the brain, and provide insights into our ongoing human research study.
報告題目：Microbial Responses towards High Hydrostatic Pressure pasteurization and Identification of mechanisms of action
報告人姓名: Theocharia Tsagkaropoulou
報告時間：2025年4月9日，周三17:00-17:30
報告地點：糧油食品學院8號樓8527
報告人及內容簡介：
Theocharia Tsagkaropoulou received an Integrated MSc in Agriculture with specialization in Food Science and Technology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) in 2017. In her MSc thesis project, she investigated the stress responses of the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes, including acid adaptation and cross protection to the same or different type of stress (e.g. acid, osmotic, thermal). She then specialized in the field of Food Safety by obtaining a MSc degree from Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands). During her second MSc thesis she studied the role of PIWI/Argonaute proteins in Bacillus cereus. Further experience was gained throughout her internship at the Institute of Food Safety and Analytical sciences at Nestlé Research in Lausanne (Switzerland) where she continued to work as Junior Research Assistant in the field of Food Safety. As of November 2021, she is working as a PhD student at the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading (United Kingdom). Her research focuses on microbial responses towards High Processing and identification of mechanisms of action.
In recent years, there has been a rising demand for minimally processed and healthier food options, leading to the exploration of preservation techniques that go beyond conventional heat treatments. High Pressure Processing (HPP) is a non-thermal technology that ensures food safety and extends shelf life through elimination of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. The technology has been adopted by food manufacturers worldwide for production of several food products with commercial applications usually ranging between 400-600 MPa for up to 6 min. The efficacy of HPP depends on several intrinsic (e.g. pressure, holding time), extrinsic (e.g. pH, aw, antimicrobials) and microorganism-related factors such as microbial species and strain variability for which the available literature is limited. Therefore, the aim of this project was to extend the current knowledge on the resistance of microorganisms (ten strains of four microbials species, two foodborne pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes & Escherichia coli and two Spoilage microorganisms: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) relevant to HPP-treated foods, under mild processing conditions (200, 300 and 400 MPa for 10 min). Milder HPP conditions enable the study of inactivation patterns between species and strains although commercial foods are exposed to more intense HPP treatments. Some of the main findings of this study were: 1) Identification of microbial species variability with L. monocytogenes being the most piezotolerant followed by E. coli, L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae; 2) Influence of growth media to subsequent HPP resistance; 3) Strain variability and identification of robust strains as potential candidates for validation studies. These results can lay the foundation for improvement of HPP decontamination efficacy, design of validation studies and the application of hurdle technology. The latter refers to combination of HPP with other preservation methods for safer food production, operating cost reduction, and mitigation of HPP-associated food alterations.
糧油食品學院 國際教育學院
2025年4月7日
