Application of Microbial Molecular Techniques to Food Systems

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Levin
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Molecular Techniques

scholarly journals Detection of Potato virus Y associated with African nightshade leafy vegetable (Solanum scabrum miller) in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-259
Author(s):  
S.L. Kimaru ◽  
D.C. Kilalo ◽  
J.W. Kimenju ◽  
W.M. Muiru
Keyword(s):  
Potato Virus ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Potato Virus Y ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Molecular Testing ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Field Samples

Abstract. The African nightshades (ANS) have been part of the food systems in sub-Saharan Africa for generations. They are particularly attractive to small scale farmers because the risks of crop losses are much lower compared to the exotic vegetables. Plant viruses are economically important pathogens affecting African nightshade production. More than 200 plant viruses are reported to infest solanaceous family crops. This study was carried out to detect Potato virus Y associated with African nightshade. Symptomatic leaf samples were obtained from four agro-ecological zones in Kenya. The viral pathogens were detected using serology and molecular techniques. Laboratory experiments were carried out at the University of Nairobi and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) from February 2017 to August, 2018. Field samples had the highest mean viral percentage frequency of 44.8% compared to greenhouse samples having 29.8% using serology methods. Molecular testing revealed that greenhouse and farm field sample were positive for the three Potato virus Y strains PVYN:O (necrotic recombinant), PVYO (ordinary) and PVYNTN (necrotic). Detection of Potato virus Y in ANS suggests that it is prevalent in the sampled regions and could cause problems to other solanaceous crops.

Multimode light microscopy and fluorescence-based reagents as tools for the study of chemical and molecular dynamics of living cells and tissues

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 418-419
Author(s):  
D. L. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Living Cells ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Macromolecular Assemblies ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Molecular Events ◽  
Yield Information ◽  
Full Knowledge ◽  
Structural Methods

Cells function through the complex temporal and spatial interplay of ions, metabolites, macromolecules and macromolecular assemblies. Biochemical approaches allow the investigator to define the components and the solution chemical reactions that might be involved in cellular functions. Static structural methods can yield information concerning the 2- and 3-D organization of known and unknown cellular constituents. Genetic and molecular techniques are powerful approaches that can alter specific functions through the manipulation of gene products and thus identify necessary components and sequences of molecular events. However, full knowledge of the mechanism of particular cell functions will require direct measurement of the interplay of cellular constituents. Therefore, there has been a need to develop methods that can yield chemical and molecular information in time and space in living cells, while allowing the integration of information from biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches at the cellular level.

Where’s the fat? Freeze-fracture analysis of ingredient interactions in food systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 48-49
Author(s):  
Jean Fincher
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Freeze Fracture ◽  
Food Science ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Fat Reduction ◽  
Important Trend ◽  
Conventional Foods ◽  
Whipped Cream

An important trend in the food industry today is reduction in the amount of fat in manufactured foods. Often fat reduction is accomplished by replacing part of the natural fat with carbohydrates which serve to bind water and increase viscosity. It is in understanding the roles of these two major components of food, fats and carbohydrates, that freeze-fracture is so important. It is well known that conventional fixation procedures are inadequate for many food products, in particular, foods with carbohydrates as a predominant structural feature. For some food science applications the advantages of freeze-fracture preparation procedures include not only the avoidance of chemical fixatives, but also the opportunity to control the temperature of the sample just prior to rapid freezing.In conventional foods freeze-fracture has been used most successfully in analysis of milk and milk products. Milk gels depend on interactions between lipid droplets and proteins. Whipped emulsions, either whipped cream or ice cream, involve complex interactions between lipid, protein, air cell surfaces, and added emulsifiers.

Characterisation of Type 2N von Willebrand Disease Using Phenotypic and Molecular Techniques

1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (06) ◽  
pp. 959-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
I M Nesbitt ◽  
A C Goodeve ◽  
A M Guilliatt ◽  
M Makris ◽  
F E Preston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Sequencing ◽  
Von Willebrand Disease ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Haemophilia A ◽  
Binding Region ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Covalently Linked ◽  
Von Willebrand ◽  
Willebrand Factor

Summaryvon Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein found in plasma non covalently linked to factor VIII (FVIII). Type 2N von Willebrand disease (vWD) is caused by a mutation in the vWF gene that results in vWF with a normal multimeric pattern, but with reduced binding to FVIII.We have utilised methods for the phenotypic and genotypic detection of type 2N vWD. The binding of FVIII to vWF in 69 patients, 36 with type 1 vWD, 32 with mild haemophilia A and one possible haemophilia A carrier with low FVIII levels was studied. Of these, six were found to have reduced binding (five type 1 vWD, one possible haemophilia A carrier), DNA was extracted from these patients and exons 18-23 of the vWF gene encoding the FVIII binding region of vWF were analysed. After direct sequencing and chemical cleavage mismatch detection, a Thr28Met mutation was detected in two unrelated individuals, one of whom appears to be a compound heterozygote for the mutation and a null allele. No mutations were found in the region of the vWF gene encoding the FVIII binding region of vWF in the other four patients

Researching (with) Major Food Retailers

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Evans
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Food Retailers ◽  
Food Retailer ◽  
The One ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Opening Up

This paper considers the relationship between social science and the food industry, and it suggests that collaboration can be intellectually productive and morally rewarding. It explores the middle ground that exists between paid consultancy models of collaboration on the one hand and a principled stance of nonengagement on the other. Drawing on recent experiences of researching with a major food retailer in the UK, I discuss the ways in which collaborating with retailers can open up opportunities for accessing data that might not otherwise be available to social scientists. Additionally, I put forward the argument that researchers with an interest in the sustainability—ecological or otherwise—of food systems, especially those of a critical persuasion, ought to be empirically engaging with food businesses. I suggest that this is important in terms of generating better understandings of the objectionable arrangements that they seek to critique, and in terms of opening up conduits through which to affect positive changes. Cutting across these points is the claim that while resistance to commercial engagement might be misguided, it is nevertheless important to acknowledge the power-geometries of collaboration and to find ways of leveling and/or leveraging them. To conclude, I suggest that universities have an important institutional role to play in defining the terms of engagement as well as maintaining the boundaries between scholarship and consultancy—a line that can otherwise become quite fuzzy when the worlds of commerce and academic research collide.

Disruptive innovation and operationalization in local and sustainable food systems: Examining the University of Toronto-Local Food Plus partnership

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.

The Role of Research and Innovation in the Transformation of Agri-Food Systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-63
Author(s):  
Mariana Sandu ◽  
Stefan Mantea
Keyword(s):  
Technological Progress ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Determinant Factor ◽  
Rapid Transformation

Abstract Agri-food systems include branching ramifications, which connect in the upstream the input suppliers with farmers, and downstream farmers, processors, retailers and consumers. In the last decades, at the level of the regions, food systems have undergone rapid transformation as a result of technological progress. The paper analyzes the changes made to the structure, behavior and performance of the agri-food system and the impact on farmers and consumers. Also, the role of agricultural research as a determinant factor of transformation of agri-food system is analyzed. The research objective is to develop technologies that cover the entire food chain (from farm to fork) and meet the specific requirements of consumers (from fork to farm) through scientific solutions in line with the principles of sustainable agriculture and ensuring the safety and food safety of the population.

Food systems, obesity, and gender in Latin America

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
And Gender
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