Lawrence Goodridge

Last updated
Lawrence Goodridge
Born
Alma mater University of Guelph
Scientific career
Fields Food science
Institutions McGill University, University of Guelph
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Interview with Lawrence Goodridge, Food Safety News, August 9, 2015
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Tales from the john: Here's a place where Covid can't hide, Toronto Sun, January 14, 2022

Lawrence Goodridge is the Leung Family Professor of Food Safety at the University of Guelph and Director of Guelph's Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. [1] Goodridge studies detection of and protection from food- and water-borne pathogens such as escherichia coli , salmonella and listeria . [2] He uses wastewater testing to study the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Goodridge was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. [5] He attended the University of Guelph, receiving his B.Sc. in Microbiology in 1995, his M.Sc. in Food Microbiology in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Food Microbiology in 2002. He studied Food Safety at the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety in 2003. [6] He then held a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Georgia [5] where he worked with Michael P. Doyle. [7]

Career

In 2003 Goodridge joined the faculty at the University of Wyoming. In 2006, he moved to Colorado State University. [5]

In 2013, [2] Goodridge became an Associate Professor and the Ian and Jayne Munro Chair in Food Safety in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry at McGill University. [5]

In January 2019 Goodridge became the Leung Family Professor of Food Safety at the University of Guelph, where he also holds the position of Director of Guelph's Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety. [2] [1]

Research

Goodridge has studied salmonella and led a $10-million research project with the goal of mapping the genomes of all known Salmonella varieties. This would help scientists to better understand why only 20-25 of the known 2,500 serotypes of Salmonella normally cause human disease. [8] He is developing predictive models of the virulence of foodborne pathogens, using phenotypic and genotypic methods. [9]

Goodridge has warned that the incidence of food-related illnesses is increasing as temperatures rise and more extreme weather events occur due to climate change. [10] He also reports that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is using whole genome sequencing to identify and track the sources of contaminated food and to increase the safety of the Canadian food supply. [11]

Goodridge uses wastewater testing as a community-level indicator for monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. [3] He combines data from wastewater analysis with social media syndromic analysis, which studies the social media usage of those who report online that they feel ill. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Salmonella</i> Genus of prokaryotes

Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two known species of Salmonella are Salmonella enterica and Salmonella bongori. S. enterica is the type species and is further divided into six subspecies that include over 2,600 serotypes. Salmonella was named after Daniel Elmer Salmon (1850–1914), an American veterinary surgeon.

<i>Campylobacter</i> Genus of gram-negative bacteria

Campylobacter is a type of bacteria that can cause a diarrhea disease in people. Its name means "curved bacteria", as the germ typically appears in a comma or "s" shape. According to its scientific classification, it is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that is motile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biosafety level</span> Level of the biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents

A biosafety level (BSL), or pathogen/protection level, is a set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have specified these levels in a publication referred to as BMBL. In the European Union, the same biosafety levels are defined in a directive. In Canada the four levels are known as Containment Levels. Facilities with these designations are also sometimes given as P1 through P4, as in the term P3 laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fecal–oral route</span> Disease transmission via pathogens from fecal particles

The fecal–oral route describes a particular route of transmission of a disease wherein pathogens in fecal particles pass from one person to the mouth of another person. Main causes of fecal–oral disease transmission include lack of adequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. If soil or water bodies are polluted with fecal material, humans can be infected with waterborne diseases or soil-transmitted diseases. Fecal contamination of food is another form of fecal-oral transmission. Washing hands properly after changing a baby's diaper or after performing anal hygiene can prevent foodborne illness from spreading.

<i>Salmonella enterica</i> Species of bacterium

Salmonella enterica is a rod-shaped, flagellate, facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium and a species of the genus Salmonella. It is divided into six subspecies, arizonae (IIIa), diarizonae (IIIb), houtenae (IV), salamae (II), indica (VI), and enterica (I). A number of its serovars are serious human pathogens; many of them are serovars of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodborne illness</span> Illness from eating spoiled food

Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions, and toxins such as aflatoxins in peanuts, poisonous mushrooms, and various species of beans that have not been boiled for at least 10 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmonellosis</span> Infection caused by Salmonella bacteria

Salmonellosis is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the Salmonella type. It is the most common disease to be known as food poisoning, these are defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. In humans, the most common symptoms are diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Symptoms typically occur between 12 hours and 36 hours after exposure, and last from two to seven days. Occasionally more significant disease can result in dehydration. The old, young, and others with a weakened immune system are more likely to develop severe disease. Specific types of Salmonella can result in typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever.

The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, health emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Falkow</span> American microbiologist

Stanley "Stan" Falkow was an American microbiologist and a professor of microbiology at Georgetown University, University of Washington, and Stanford University School of Medicine. Falkow is known as the father of the field of molecular microbial pathogenesis. He formulated molecular Koch's postulates, which have guided the study of the microbial determinants of infectious diseases since the late 1980s. Falkow spent over 50 years uncovering molecular mechanisms of how bacteria cause disease and how to disarm them. Falkow also was one of the first scientists to investigate antimicrobial resistance, and presented his research extensively to scientific, government, and lay audiences explaining the spread of resistance from one organism to another, now known as horizontal gene transfer, and the implications of this phenomenon on our ability to combat infections in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food microbiology</span> Study of the microorganisms that inhibit, create, or contaminate food

Food microbiology is the study of the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate food. This includes the study of microorganisms causing food spoilage; pathogens that may cause disease ; microbes used to produce fermented foods such as cheese, yogurt, bread, beer, and wine; and microbes with other useful roles, such as producing probiotics.

Pathatrix is a high volume recirculating immuno magnetic-capture system developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific for the detection of pathogens in food and environmental samples.

Raw meat generally refers to any type of uncooked muscle tissue of an animal used for food. In the meat production industry, the term ‘meat’ refers specifically to mammalian flesh, while the words ‘poultry’ and ‘seafood’ are used to differentiate between the tissue of birds and aquatic creatures.

<i>Salmonella enterica <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> enterica</i> Subspecies of bacterium

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica is a subspecies of Salmonella enterica, the rod-shaped, flagellated, aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium. Many of the pathogenic serovars of the S. enterica species are in this subspecies, including that responsible for typhoid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Krajden</span>

Mel Krajden is a physician and professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is the medical director of the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory. Dr. Krajden obtained his BSc, MD, and FRCPC at McGill University, followed by a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford University. He is also the medical director of the Public Health Laboratory at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. His research focuses on the prevention and care of hepatitis, human papillomavirus, and human immunodeficiency virus.

Jorge Enrique Galán is an Argentinian-American microbiologist who specializes in infectious disease, bacterial pathogenesis including Salmonella.

Food safety in Australia concerns the production, distribution, preparation, and storage of food in Australia to prevent foodborne illness, also known as food safety. Food Standards Australia New Zealand is responsible for developing food standards for Australia and New Zealand.

Salmonellosis annually causes, per CDC estimation, about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year.

Welton Ivan Taylor was an American microbiologist, inventor and civil rights activist. He is known for his work on food-borne pathogens, notably for developing tests for Salmonella and for inventing the XLD agar, which can be used to isolate Salmonella and Shigella bacteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk borne diseases</span>

Milk borne diseases are any diseases caused by consumption of milk or dairy products infected or contaminated by pathogens. Milk borne diseases are one of the recurrent foodborne illnesses—between 1993 and 2012 over 120 outbreaks related to raw milk were recorded in the US with approximately 1,900 illnesses and 140 hospitalisations. With rich nutrients essential for growth and development such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and vitamins in milk, pathogenic microorganisms are well nourished and are capable of rapid cell division and extensive population growth in this favourable environment. Common pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites and among them, bacterial infection is the leading cause of milk borne diseases.

Larry R. Beuchat is a food protection researcher and emeritus professor at the University of Georgia in Griffin, Georgia. Beuchat's work focuses on the microbiology of plant-based foods, molds and pathogens, and food safety. He has authored five books and 530 journal articles. In 2008, the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) recognized Beuchat's contributions to research by creating the annual Larry Beuchat Young Research Award. In 2013, Beuchat gave Penn State University a gift of $1 million to create an endowed chair in his name for a Professorship in Food Microbiology.

References

  1. 1 2 Bueckert, Kate (February 13, 2022). "Black scientists won't stay in Canada without equitable research funding, experts say". CBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Food Safety professorship established at University of Guelph - Food In CanadaFood In Canada". Food in Canada. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Prof Makes Headlines with COVID Wastewater Project". U of G News. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  4. Chattha, Simran (28 October 2020). "Researcher Receives Federal Funding to Track Outbreaks Using Wastewater". Water Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Lawrence Goodridge". McGill University. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. "Lawrence Goodridge : Food Science". University of Guelph. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  7. "Webinar - An Hour with Lawrence Goodridge". Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  8. Andrews, James (11 August 2015). "IAFP 2015: Interview with Lawrence Goodridge, Professor and Salmonella Researcher". Food Safety News. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  9. "Lawrence Goodridge". The Conversation. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  10. Burke, David (November 4, 2019). "Why climate change appears to be increasing the frequency of food-borne illnesses". CBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  11. Burke, David (September 21, 2019). "How Canadian investigators use DNA to track down contaminated food". CBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  12. Lev, Elianna (January 24, 2022). "Are more people getting COVID-19? The answer might be in our wastewater". ca.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 February 2022.