Julie Olson, PhD, wants to help your refrigerator. An associate professor of biological sciences, Olson is working with the University of Alabama’s OTT to bring to market a naturally occurring but previously unknown compound that could assist in food preservation. Although refrigeration slows the growth of many bacterial and fungal contaminants, refrigerators have proven to be no match against certain bacteria — including one group known as Listeria and another called the Pseudomonads. To counter these and a variety of other nasty bugs, Olson is testing the effectiveness of a protein antibiotic known as a bacteriocin, which was discovered in rural Alabama by a former graduate student. “Because this is a broad-spectrum bacteriocin, we are hoping it [will] be effective against a number of species that are responsible for food spoilage,” Olson says. “We’ve done a number of preliminary tests, and they look pretty good.”
The tests indicate the potential preservative is stable at most temperatures and appears to have a long shelf life — two characteristics in its favor, Olson says. It degrades when heated, so it’s not considered a harmful addition to food. The compound could potentially either be injected into food or sprayed onto external food surfaces prior to packaging. UA has obtained a provisional patent on the product and has a utility patent pending.
Source: dialog