Egg white lysozyme was demonstrated to have antibacterial activity against organisms of concern in food safety, including Listeria monocytogenes and certain strains of Clostridium botulinum. We also found that the food spoilage thermophile Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum was highly susceptible to lysozyme and confirmed that the spoilage organisms Bacillus stearothermophilus and Clostridium ty...

Because food web regimes control the biomass of primary producers (e.g., plants or algae), intermediate consumers (e.g., invertebrates), and large top predators (tuna, killer whales), they are of societal as well as academic interest. Some controls over food web regimes may be internal, but many are mediated by conditions or fluxes over large spatial scales. To understand locally observed chang...

Cell migration is a fundamental process, from simple, uni-cellular organisms such as amoeba, to complex multi-cellular organisms such as mammals. Whereas its main functions comprise mating and the search for food in simple organisms (Manahan et al., 2004), complexity brings a requirement for specialization, which necessitates cell migration-mediated tissue organization, organogenesis and homeos...

I f you spend a minute observing behaviour at your next party, it is easy to grasp the basics of sexual selection theory females are choosy and males compete. But how do you choose or compete for the best partner when you are permanently stuck to a rock? Most marine organisms reproduce by releasing their eggs and sperm into the ocean. This mode of reproduction is called broadcast spawning. You'...

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) become a real constituent of our lives and nowadays, they are commonly introduced into the food chain of people and animals in some states. Among higher organisms, plants are used above all for genetic modifications; potatoes are a suitable model plants for this purpose. Nowadays, a number of various genetic modifications of potato plants are available, part...

In this article, the different DNA amplification techniques that are being used for detecting genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in foods are examined. This study intends to provide an updated overview (including works published till June 2002) on the principal applications of such techniques together with their main advantages and drawbacks in GMO detection in foods. Some relevant facts on ...

Production and processing of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in line with the European food safety and labelling regulations lead to an elevated risk of unintentional GMO contamination in food producing and processing companies. For these companies GMO contamination can lead to extensive losses such as decreased product value, recall expenses or decreased brand equity. The question that oc...

Attitudes to natural foods and genetically modified organisms, assessed by multiple choice items, definitions of natural, and free associations to the word "natural" were determined for a representative sample of adults from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.A. Individuals in all countries had a very positive attitude to natural. There is a surprising degree of similari...