Research areas and responsibilities
My group studies the ecology and physiology of aquatic microorganisms. This includes studies of bacteria such as Roseobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Vibrio, Shewanella, fluorescent pseudomonads or Listeria monocytogenes. Part of the work deals with pathogenic bacteria and food safety and infection (Gram 2005, Gram and Huss 2000) and part of the work with the biotechnological potential of marine bacteria (Gram et al. 2010).
We work on control on unwanted bacteria (pathogens and spoilage bacteria) and work with both live fish and seafood products. Also, we have a more general interst in the development of novel antibacterial compounds (such as small organic molecules, antimicrobial peptides, enzymes) that may be used in clinical settings or as antifouling agents.
Our work with L. monocytogenes focuses on seafood safety and we study environmental niches, spread, colonization, inhibition and virulence of the bacterium. We are interested in aquacultured fish species; in particular non-antibiotic based disease control methods such as probiotics or blocking of bacteria quorum sensing. Potential fish probiotics include Roseobacter and Pseudomonas species. Methods range from traditional culturing, phenotypic characterization to typing by RAPD and antibody and probe detection.
Several of our current research projects deal with various aspects of interactions between bacteria and between bacteria and the eucaryotic host . We use the understanding of bacteria-bacteria-interactions (especially antagonism) to search for novel antibacterial compounds.
In 2006, we have joined a global scientific marin cruise (Galathea3) where we will determine the distribution of bacteria with antibacterial activity in the marine environment around the globe. This work can potentially be of interest in development of novel food preservation compounds, antifouling agents and even in drug discovery work.
Education
- 1989: Ph.D. in food microbiology from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (RVAU) in food microbiology
- 1980 - 85: M.Sc. in food science (major in Food Microbiology) from RVAU
Positions and experiences
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2009: Visitng scientist with Professor Roberto Kolter, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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2006: Adjunct professor at Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland
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2005: Professor in fish microbial ecology at the Department of Seafood Research, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research (DIFRES) in a collaborative professorship with BioCentrum, at the Technical University of Denmark
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2000: Professor in fish microbial ecology at DIFRES
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1999 and 1994-1995: Visiting research scientist with Professor Staffan Kjelleberg, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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1989: External associate professor at the RVAU
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Editor of Applied and Environmental Microbiology (since 2007)
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Member (1998-2009) and secretary (2003-2007) of ICMSF; the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods
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Several consultancies for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations working on projects and courses related to fish technology