Gerald Fitzgerald
Name: Prof. Gerald F. Fitzgerald
Position: Professor of Food Microbiology and Head of Department
T: 353 (0)21 4992730
F: 353 (0)21 4903101
E: g.fitzgerald@ucc.ie
Biography
Academic Career
1974-1978: BSc, University College Cork
1978-1982: PhD, University College Cork
2006: DSc, National University of Ireland
Additional Positions and Awards
1982-1984: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan Dental School, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A.
1984-1998: Lecturer/Statutory Lecturer, Microbiology Department, UCC
1995: Medal for Research excellence in Microbiology {Royal Irish Academy}
1998 -1999: Associate Professor, Microbiology Department, UCC
1999: Appointed Professor of Food Microbiology
2003–Present: Deputy Director, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre
2001-2004 & 2009-Present: Head, Department of Microbiology, UCC
1998–2004: Director, National Food Biotechnology Centre, UCC
2004–Present: Director, BioTransfer Unit, UCC
2008-2009: Interim Chief Executive Officer, Food for Health Ireland
2004-2007: Chairman, Glanbia Scientific Advisory Committee
Teaching areas
- Food & Industrial Microbiology
- Methods in Microbiology
- Food Fermentation & Mycology
- Hygienic Production of Food
- Functional Foods for Health
- Dairy Science & Technology
Research interests and expertise
- Biochemistry, physiology and genetics of Lactic Acid Bacteria
- Probiotic cultures - fundamental analysis and applications in foods
- Genomics of Bifidobacterium
- Bacteriophage resistance in Lactococcus : fundamental analysis of resistance systems and their application in the construction of phage resistant cultures
- Molecular genetics of bacteriophage of Lactococcus
- Antimicrobials of Lactic Acid Bacteria as biopreservatives of foods
Research
Research Overview
The major research interest is focused on understanding the functionality of Lactic Acid Bacteria used in food and dairy fermentations and those isolated in the gastrointestinal tract. This interest extends to studying technological functionality such as bacteriophage resistance and flavour development as well as health related functionality.
Selected Recent Publications
Kaleta P, O'Callaghan J, Fitzgerald GF, Beresford TP, Ross RP. 2009. Interstrain genomic comparison reveals a crucial role for IS elements in the evolution of Lactobacillus helveticus . Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Oct 30.
Cronin M, Sleator RD, Hill C, Fitzgerald GF, van Sinderen D. 2009. Development of a luciferase-based reporter system to monitor Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 persistence in mice. BMC Microbiol. 2008 Sep 24;8:161.
Wall R, Ross RP, Shanahan F, O'Mahony L, O'Mahony C, Coakley M, Hart O, Lawlor P, Quigley EM, Kiely B, Fitzgerald GF, Stanton C. 2009. Metabolic activity of the enteric microbiota influences the fatty acid composition of murine and porcine liver and adipose tissues. Am J Clin Nutr.;89(5):1393-401.
Hayes M, Barrett E, Ross RP, Fitzgerald GF, Hill C, Stanton C. 2009. Evaluation of an antimicrobial ingredient prepared from a Lactobacillus acidophilus casein fermentate against Enterobacter sakazakii. J Food Prot.;72(2):340.
Zomer A, Fernandez M, Kearney B, Fitzgerald GF, Ventura M, van Sinderen D. 2009. An interactive regulatory network controls stress response in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003. J Bacteriol;191(22):7039-49. Epub 2009 Sep 4.
Alemayehu D, Ross RP, O'Sullivan O, Coffey A, Stanton C, Fitzgerald GF, McAuliffe O. 2009. Genome of a virulent bacteriophage Lb338-1 that lyses the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei cheese strain. Gene;448(1):29-39. Epub 2009 Aug 25.
Kaleta P, Callanan MJ, O'Callaghan J, Fitzgerald GF, Beresford TP, Ross RP. 2009 Exploitation of the diverse insertion sequence element content of dairy Lactobacillus helveticus starters as a rapid method to identify different strains. J Microbiol Methods.79(1):32-6. Epub 2009 Jul 29.
Fallico V, McAuliffe O, Fitzgerald GF, Hill C, Ross RP. 2009. The presence of pMRC01 promotes greater cell permeability and autolysis in lactococcal starter cultures. Int J Food Microbiol;133(3):217-24. Epub 2009 May 7.
O'Sullivan O, O'Callaghan J, Sangrador-Vegas A, McAuliffe O, Slattery L, Kaleta P, Callanan M, Fitzgerald GF, Ross RP, Beresford T. 2009. Comparative genomics of lactic acid bacteria reveals a niche-specific gene set. BMC Microbiol. 5;9:50.
Pokusaeva K, O'Connell-Motherway M, Zomer A, Fitzgerald GF, van Sinderen D. 2009. Characterization of two novel alpha-glucosidases from Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003. Appl Environ Microbiol;75(4):1135-43. Epub 2008 Dec 29.
Horgan M, O'Flynn G, Garry J, Cooney J, Coffey A, Fitzgerald GF, Ross RP, McAuliffe O. 2009. Phage lysin LysK can be truncated to its CHAP domain and retain lytic activity against live antibiotic-resistant staphylococci. Appl Environ Microbiol;75(3):872-4. Epub 2008 Dec 1.
Research funding and grants
In receipt of funding from: EI; FIRM; SFI; EU, IRCSET, SFI, Industry.
Research Groups and collaborators
Professor Paul Ross, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork
Dr Catherine Stanton, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork
Professor Douwe van Sinderen, Microbiology Department, UCC
Professor Colin Hill, Microbiology Department, UCC
Professor Alan Kelly, Department of Food and Nutritional Science, UCC
Research Projects in the group
Active research projects on bioactive molecules produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria, commensal microbiota of humans, probiotics for animal health, enhancing technological functional of starter cultures.
Links
http://apc.ucc.ie