Environmental Microbiology, Soil Microbiology & Microbial Biogeochemistry

Marika Mikelsaar (born 12 November 1938 ) is the Tartu University professor emeritus and medical biotechnology extraordinary professor. Her main research interests are clinical microbiology , human mikroobiökoloogia health and disease, and the probiotic mechanisms of action and development. Marika Mikelsaar garners public attention achievement is a patented probiotic lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 detection, which is used by Dr. Hellus dairy products in the series. 2007 .

Probiotics

Yehuda Shoenfeld works at Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University. He is the incumbent of the Laura Schwarz-Kipp Chair for Research of Autoimmune Diseases. Shoefeld is the editor of two journals, Harefuah (Medicine) in Hebrew with English abstracts and Israel Medical Association Journal (IMAJ). He is editor-in-chief of Autoimmunity Reviews, and co-editor of the Journal of Autoimmunity

Autoimmune Diseases

Dr. Osama Ibrahim is a highly-experienced Principal Research Scientist with particular expertise in the field of microbiology, molecular biology, food safety, and bioprocessing for both pharmaceutical and food ingredients. He is knowledgeable in microbial screening /culture improvement; molecular biology and fermentation research for antibiotics, enzymes, therapeutic proteins, organic acids and food flavors; Biochemistry for metabolic pathways and enzymes kinetics, enzymes immobilization, bioconversion, and Analytical Biochemistry. Dr. Ibrahim was external research liaison for Kraft Foods with Universities for research projects related to molecular biology and microbial screening and holds three bioprocessing patents. In January 2005, he accepted an early retirement offer from Kraft Foods and in the same year he formed his own biotechnology company providing technical and marketing consultation for new startup biotechnology and food companies. Dr. Ibrahim received his B.S. in Biochemistry with honor and two M.S. degrees in Microbial physiology/ Fermentation and in Applied Microbiology. He received his Ph.D in Basic Medical Science (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular biology) from New York Medical College. His research dissertation was on the construction of plasmid for the expression of a fusion protein of VEGF121/ Shiga-like toxin as a therapeutic protein for targeting angiogenesis (cancer treatment). Since 1979 he is a member of American Chemical Society, American Society of Microbiology, and Society of Industrial Microbiology.

Microbiology, Molecular biology, Food safety

Dr. Alexander “Sandro” Sulakvelidze, Ph.D., is a Chief Scientist and Vice-President for Research & Development of Intralytix, Inc. Dr. Sulakvelidze is an internationally recognized expert in phage technology and infectious disease epidemiology. He has served/is serving as the Principal Investigator/Project Director of several grants and contracts from various agencies and foundations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States Department of Defense (DOD), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Food Processors Association (NFPA), Department of Health and Human Services Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP), and the Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). Dr. Sulakvelidze has published extensively on the subjects of molecular epidemiology and phage therapy, and he is the author of several issued and pending patents in the field of bacteriophages. He also co-edited a major book about bacteriophages, which was published by the CRC Press in 2005. Dr. Sulakvelidze serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Bacteriophage. His research has been featured in several magazines and newspapers (including the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Science, Smithsonian, Wired, and Discover Magazine), and in various radio programs and television documentaries (including National Public Radio’s Science Friday, BBC Radio and Voice of America radio programs, and BBC Horizon documentary about phage therapy). Dr. Sulakvelidze serves as an ad hoc reviewer for various journals, such as Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Drug Discovery Today, FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, FEMS Microbiology Letters, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Food Microbiology, Trends in Biotechnology, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, and Therapeutic Delivery, and for several funding agencies, including the CRDF, the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), the Qatar Research Fund, the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), and the NIH.

Bacteriophages

Monika Bright obtained her PhD at the University of Vienna in 1992, at the age of 29. She did her postdoctoral studies at the University of Tübingen, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and the Pennsylvania State University. Presently, she is University Professor for Zoology and Marine Biology and Vice Head of the Department of Limnology and Oceanography at the University of Vienna. She has published more than 70 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as editorial board member for Frontiers in Microbial Symbiosis and as councilor of the International Society of Symbiosis.

Thiotrophic Symbioses

Dilek Heperkan has completed her PhD in Egean University, Turkey. She worked as a researcher for 10 years in TUBITAK, National Research Center. She participated in World Working Party of Mycotoxin (2002-2007). She worked as a visiting scientist in countries such as Belgium, Germany, Netherland and UK. She worked for sabbatical in the USA in 2001. She also gave lectures at Universite de Vigo by Erasmus Programme in 2007. Recently, she organized 23rd ICFMH FoodMicro 2012 Congress and 14th Mediterranean Phytopathological Congress. She is currently working in Istanbul Technical University, Food Engineering Department.

Food Engineering

M. DOLS-LAFARGUE has completed his PhD at the age of 25 years from INSA Toulouse (France). She is Professor of Biochemistry at Bordeaux National Polytechnic Institute.

Microbes in Beverage industry

Dr Massimo Cecaro after completing the high school in humanistic studies, he moved to the University of Camerino, where he got a Master Degree in Veterinary Medicine and in University of Teramo he successfully got the Specialization. Since the age of 14, he has worked as radio speaker, tv presenter and reporter for a wide range of artistic and scientific events. At the age of 24 he obtained a qualification to practice as a Journalist and in 2007 he was admitted to the National Association of Medical Press (ASMI), where he currently hold the position of National Councilor. He is Resident Member of MJA Medical Journalists’ Association (London). He is Member of EFSA's Expert Database. He has been an invited speaker,mentor and chairman at International events in the field of Public Health and Safety in Canada, US, Europe and Asia. He has been author of several scientific works in public health. He is also director in Italy of a prestigious Educational Centre for work safety and public health. He is actively involved in international projects to improve the role of mass-media in medical sciences, and awarded in Philadelphia, Valencia and Las Vegas with International special recognition. He is serving as an editorial member of several reputed journals like: “Journal Food Processing Technology”, “Journal of Veterinary Science & Technology”, and Editor in Chief in the “Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs” and in “Journal of Mass Communication”. He is Reviewer for "Journal od Cancer Science & Therapy”. He is Organizing Commette Member of several International Conferences in US and in Europe.

Public Health Occupational Medicine Veterinary medicine Food safety Anthropozoonoses Epidemiology Comparative oncology