Spiros Paramithiotis received his PhD degree in Food Microbiology from the Agricultural University of Athens, in 2002. In 2003, he joined the Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene where he works today. His research interests lie mainly in the field of food fermentation, with particular emphasis on microbial taxonomy, metabolism, physiology, symbiotic patterns and the underlying molecular mechanisms. He has co-authored more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings and has received more than 1000 citations.


Jayanta K Patra, MSc PhD (Life Sciences), PDF (Biotechnology), is working as Assistant Professor at Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea. He has twelve years of research and teaching experience in the field of food, pharmacological and nano biotechnology. To his credit, he has published around 100 papers in various national and international peer-reviewed journals and around twenty book chapters in different edited books. Dr. Patra has also authored five books in various publications like STUDIUM Press (India); STUDIUM Press LLC USA; Springer Nature, Singapore; and Apple Academic Press, Inc., Canada, CRC Press.

SUMMARY:
With the advances in the field of molecular biology, new tools make it possible to conduct in-depth studies in food microbial communities from a molecular perspective. Information from genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies can be integrated through bioinformatic applications, thereby improving our understanding of the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors and concomitantly the physiology of starter cultures, spoilage and pathogenic microbiota. Improvements in the speed, accuracy and reliability of food quality and safety assessment have made the foundation stronger for future developments including the exploitation of gene networks and applications of nanotechnology and systems biology.

This book reviews all these developments, provides an integrated view of the subject and helps in identifying areas of future development.