Thesis (Ph.D.) in Food and Nutrition Sciences--University of Maine, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-176).

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Sept. 21, 2009). Thesis advisor: Dr. Azlin Mustapha. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2007. / Principal faculty advisor: Kalmia Kniel, Dept. of Animal & Food Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Please refer to fulltext for abstract / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sien volteks vir opsomming

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2009. / Thesis Advisor(s): Bergin, Richard ; Wollman, Lauren. "December 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on January 28, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: Homeland security, agriculture, food, defense, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, food safety, food defense, intelligence, model, comparative government, threats, terrorism, food security, conceptual model, Single Food Safety Agency. Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-143). Also available in print.

The application of infrared imaging employing focal plane array Fourier transform infrared (FPA-FTIR) instrumentation for the identification of bacteria was investigated. FPA-FTIR spectroscopy was shown to provide new opportunities for bacteria identification with unprecedented reliability and throughput by allowing 102--103 FTIR spectra to be acquired simultaneously from surface areas of 90 x 90 to 200 x 200 mum with a spatial resolution of ∼6 mum. The combination of data redundancy and spatial resolution afforded by infrared imaging made it possible to acquire highly reproducible spectra from bacterial films. A protocol for enhancing the reliability of bacteria identification by transmission-mode FPA-FTIR spectroscopy was developed by optimizing spectral acquisition parameters, spectral processing and data analysis; using the differentiation of two Campylobacter species as a test case. The results for this test case were compared with those obtained from three alternate FTIR spectral acquisition modes. The optimized protocol was employed for the generation of a spectral database of foodborne bacteria, containing over 1,000,000 spectra acquired by infrared imaging of 36 species from 19 genera. The development of a modular hierarchical clustering (MHC) model, in combination with the use of a region selection algorithm, allowed all species in the database to be differentiated from each other down to the species level based on differences in their infrared absorption profiles. A validation study involving the identification of well-characterized isolates by comparison of their spectra to those in the database demonstrated the robustness of the MHC model. In a further study employing 44 strains of Clostridium botulinum, the discriminatory power of FPA-FTIR spectroscopy was compared with that of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and the region selection algorithm was applied to identify growth medium-independent spectral regions that allowed for the differentiation of Group I and Group II C. botulinum strains in two blind validation studies. The research carried out also demonstrated the high-throughput potential of bacteria identification by infrared imaging when combined with the use of a microarray system for sample deposition. Overall, the novel FPA-FTIR spectroscopy-based bacteria identification protocol developed in this work provides a rapid-response and reagent-free technique suitable for routine use in both food and clinical microbiology laboratories.

Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2006. / "May 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-87). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Doctoral)--Wageningen University, The Netherlands, 2007. / Vita. "Prepositions (stellingen)" ([1] leaf) inserted. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the Internet on the university's web site.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 180 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.