Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France

 

Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires (Molecular Virology and Immunology Unit), Jouy-en-Josas, France (INRA-VIM team, Contractor: François Lefèvre)

 

Laboratoire de Génie des procédés et technologie alimentaires (Laboratory for Food Process Engineering and Technology), Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France (INRA-LGPTA team, Contractor: Thierry Benezech)

 

The INRA-VIM team will contribute with expertise in functional genomics of domestic animals applied to the study of genes regulated upon interactions between pathogens and cells of the host. This approach will be used to understand the mechanisms by which the human pathogens studied in this project can persist in animals. This team will provide access to functional genomics platforms developed at the INRA research centre of Jouy-en-Josas.

The INRA-LGPA team will identify construction requirements of food processing equipment through biofilm removal during cleaning. Mechanisms of detachment from technical surfaces will be investigated. The following issue will be addressed: (1) Hygienic design evaluation and testing with relevant micro-organisms at a pilot-plant scale, (2) respective roles of significant cleaning parameters (flow mechanics & time) on the bacteria removal.

 

Key persons for PathogenCombat

Francois Lefevre (RTD I Pillar Leader, involved in WP2, WP3, WP9) has a more than 15 year experience in molecular and cellular virology and in the study of factors involved in innate immune response, mainly on viral diseases of the pig species. His team has strong experience in genetic engineering, molecular biology, cloning of pig cytokines and immunological factors. This team is presently involved in research programs aimed on the analysis of innate immune response to viruses in the pig using in vitro cell models of primary targets of viral infection at mucosal sites: polarised epithelial cells of the mucous epithelium (modelised with epithelial cell lines) and immature dendritic cell (differentiated in vitro from their blood progenitors). These studies rely on the analysis of virus-induced intracellular signalling pathways and host genes regulated during viral infection in the pig using functional genomics approach.

 

Dr. Thierry Bénézech (involved in WP11) is a food process engineer and had been working first in the field of fluid mechanics and energetic. He has now been working for 10 years in hygiene in food processing throughout four European research programmes AIR, ECSC, Growth and Quality of life) as a team and work package leader.

 

Dr. Caroline Lelièvre (involved in WP11) has taken a PhD in 2001 in Food Process Engineering. Areas of her scientific experience are modelling of removal kinetics of bacteria from solid surfaces and flow mechanics applied to hygiene and cleaning mechanisms.