Award details

Expanding the ComBase database and developing new tools for its modelling toolbox

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042543
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Jozsef Baranyi
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	86,700
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/09/2009
End date	31/08/2012
Duration	36 months

Abstract

This project will expand and bring the ComBase system (www.combase.cc) to a new level of sophistication. Background: ComBase is a database of microbial responses to food-related environments, where the records in the database were obtained either by extracting data from scientific literature or from data donors around the world. The database is accompanied by a “Modelling Toolbox”, a set of regression and prediction software, to help the user assess and utilise the raw information. All this is completed by extensive 'Help' system, consisting of tutorials, demonstrative examples and technical documentations. Objectives and means to reach them: In this project we will expand the database and develop its predictive tools to a more sophisticated level. Not only the number of data records will be increased but also the nature of the new data will be more and more complex. They will include data generated during dynamic conditions (when environmental factors change during the observed dynamic response) and competition studies (when different species grow together in a co-culture). From voluntary donors, many such datasets are already available in large quantities (ca 5000 records) via our collaborators, but their reformatting for the ComBase format, verification, processing and modelling needs computational and mathematical expertise. The mathematical software tools accompanying the database will include uncertainty quantification for the predictions, such as analysing interpolation and extrapolation questions and estimating the probability of bacterial growth in a certain environment. The current generic predictive models (valid for culture media as a base point) will be supplied with specific food-organism scenarios, such as Salmonella in chicken, Listeria in cheese, etc. Dissemination activities will include workshops and webinars, as well as publications.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Microbial Food Safety, Microbiology, Technology and Methods Development
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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