Research

Björkroth team is recognised in research on microbial ecology of food spoilage. We increase understanding of the succession and function of individual spoilers as a part of a microbiome and how a spoilage microbiome develops over time. We study the most preferred active pathways used by microbes during growth and how these activities are translated to their fitness and production of spoilage metabolites.
Understanding Food Spoilage

 

Our research increases understanding of the complex spoilage microbiomes in packaged cold-stored foods and emphasises the importance of integrating genomic and functional analyses to understand microbial behaviour. The discovery of novel species and the characterisation of spoilage dynamics provide valuable insights for improving food preservation and safety strategies.  

Our research integrates classical microbiology, chemical methods, genomics, and (meta)transcriptomics to elucidate the identity, behavior, and functional roles of spoilage-associated bacteria. We have conducted pioneering work on cold-tolerant lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are key contributors to spoilage in refrigerated and packaged foods. We have described several of these LAB spoilers in our research. The greater aim of our work is to enable development of novel and rapid technologies for the evaluation of food freshness and to find ways to restrict the growth of these spoilers by understanding what drives their succession in food. 
Our work in pictures Pictures of some of the types of spoilage we work with, as well as some methods we use to study spoilage.
Picture of a stab culture Black colonies on a petri dish Greyish minced meat Slimy preserved fish Beef turning green API tests Tubes of L. gasicomitatum Four photos associated with different elements of LAB spoilage Image of petri dish with slime producing bacteria and inoculation loop