Foodborne Microbial Pathogens: Mechanisms and Pathogenesis

Ever since my days in veterinary school, I was fascinated with the field of microbiology. I always wondered how such a small microscopic organisms are capable of causing infections in other living organisms; big or small, young or old, and healthy or immunocompromised. The subject captured my imagi- tion. Many of the same microorganisms that cause diseases in animals also infect humans. In recent days, pathogens of animal origin impose even greater concern with increasing threat of avian influenza to cause pandemic, and spread of deadly bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and many bacterial pathogens such as Listeria, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Campylobacter. I am especially intrigued by the cunning strategy pat- gens employ for their survival in a host and their exploitation of host cellular machinery to promote their own invasion into the host. Pathogenic mechanism is complex and unraveling that process requires great minds. Today, mic- biologists, cell biologists, and immunologists employing many sophisticated molecular tools are unraveling that secret at a very fast pace. Thus it requires a great deal of efforts to compile and update information in a textbook and it was rather a monumental task. My goal with this book was to paint a bigger picture of pathogenic mechanism of foodborne pathogens, which are responsible for many of modern day outbreaks, and diseases worldwide, and narrate the subject with easy to comprehend illustrations.

Arun K. Bhunia, B.V.Sc., Ph.D., is a professor of molecular food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Prof. Bhunia received his PhD from University of Wyoming. He received his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya (currently West Bengal University of Fishery and Animal Sciences), West Bengal, India. He received his postdoctoral training from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, in 1994 and then joined Alabama A&M University as an Assistant Professor in 1995. In 1998, he joined the Department of Food Science at Purdue University. He teaches two graduate level courses: Microbial Foodborne Pathogen – this course deals with mechanism of pathogenesis of foodborne pathogens and toxins and the host immune response to infections. Microbial Techniques for Food Pathogen is a laboratory course that incorporates rapid methods employing immunoassays, genetic and biosensor tools. In addition, he co-directs a graduate level seminar course - "Gut Microbiology Journal Club. He conducts research in the area of foodborne pathogens with major emphasis on pathogen detection utilizing biosensor, cell-based sensor, immunosensor, immunoassays and genetic tools. The primary target organisms are Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Bacillus cereus. In addition, he conducts research to investigate pathogenic mechanism especially the intestinal phase of infection for Listeria monocytogenes. He is also involved in developing mammalian cell culture-based rapid assays for foodborne pathogens. His research has been funded by grants from US Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, and Center for Food Safety Engineering at Purdue University.

To date, Prof. Bhunia has published 86 refereed and 21 proceedings articles, coauthored a text book "Fundamental Food Microbiology,4th Edition, CRC Press, and co-edited two books (Foodborne Pathogens: Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2005; Caister Academic Press, and The Science of Homeland Security, 2006, Purdue University Press). He has written eight book chapters, and presented over 100 presentations in national and international meetings or institutions. He is a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, Institute of Food Technologists, and Society for Photo Optical Engineers, and he currently serves as editorial board member for two refereed journals; Journal of Food Protection, Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment. In 2003, Prof. Bhunia received a prestigious Purdue Agricultural Research Award, in 2005, he was selected as University Faculty Scholar and his research team received "2006 Agriculture Team Award" from Purdue University.