Use of lactic acid bacteria for the production of probiotic dairy drinks and bacteriocins: application in the food and pharmaceutical industries

Abstract

The Visiting Researcher (VR) belongs to the Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering of Genoa University (UNIGE), is currently one of 2 vice-coordinators of the homonymous PhD and coordinates the research group of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology of UNIGE. He collaborates with the Post-Graduation Program of Biochemical Pharmaceutical Technology (PPG/TBF) since 1998 and is the UNIGE teacher responsible for the International Academic Agreement for Double PhD Degree, through which 12 PhD students of the two institutions already obtained the double degree, while two additional USP student ended their stage at UNIGE and will defend their thesis up to February 2020. The brilliant results so far achieved, proven by the joint scientific production (34 papers published in international journals since 2015), have enabled both PhD programs to reach levels of international excellence, which are reflected in very positive judgments by the respective evaluation bodies. Precisely thanks to this intense activity, additional interactions recently emerged between research groups of the two programs that were not initially involved in the interchange, which now would require a new impetus to strive even higher levels of quality. Hence, the idea to propose a project to reinforce collaboration activities between the two institutions, which would be limited to a specific subject (bacteriocins and antimicrobials) but would deal with different aspects of biotechnology. Therefore, the 6 research subprojects, 3 of which funded by FAPESP, mostly related to these objectives, were selected for active PV collaboration in their implementation as well as preparation and publication of results, through a 54 day-stage at USP starting on February 1st, 2020. These subprojects, coordinated by me, are: 1) "Construction of a recombinant pediocin-producing strain from agroindustrial residue", "Biotechnological production of antimicrobial biopolymer and biodegradable plastic from agroindustrial residue by Pediococcus pentosaceus: application in the preservation of meat products", "Bioprospecting of bacteriocin and vitamin-producing probiotic bacteria: an application as a food additive in poultry for human consumption", "Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis cultivation in soybean extract medium: study of acidification kinetics, cell growth, antimicrobial activity and in vitro gastrointestinal stress", "Optimization of pediocin A production by Pediococcus pentosaceus ATCC 43200" and "Development of probiotic dairy drinks added with strawberry pulp and supplemented with L-tryptophan and made from buffalo and bovine milk". It is planned, in addition to research-activities, the VR participation to the international evaluation commissions of one student engaged in subproject 4. During this period, the VR will focus exclusively on these research activities, except for a brief course (24 h) and 3 seminaries. We hope that at least two other students of the two institutions will be approved during the VR visit at USP to make their double PhD stage. The VR has actively participated in the preparation of all proposed subprojects. Given these results, during the term of this project at least 4 articles will be drawn up, as well as new directions of the chosen projects will be highlighted. Finally, we expect to submit a new Double Degree agreement in the area of Pharmacy. (AU)