September 22, 1997
by Elizabeth Spittler
Geneva, NY - Randy Worobo was appointed Assistant Professor of
Microbiology at Cornell University, in charge of food safety research and
outreach in the department of Food Science and Technology (FS&T) at
the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, 
effective
August 1. He is responsible for a program investigating pathogenic and
spoilage organisms in plant based foods. Some of his work includes the
use of antimicrobial peptides and proteins for the control and possible
eradication of pathogenic and spoilage organisms in foods.
"Dr. Worobo has a very exciting research program with state of the art approaches and significant opportunity for important successes. His extension program offers the industry an opportunity to know and understand food safety from a farm to fork perspective," said FS&T chairman Mark McLellan. "His outgoing personality will help him meet the needs of New York State food manufacturers and build important research liasons."
"The main focus of my research here at the Station is to investigate the potential use of antimicrobial peptides and proteins (bacteriocins) as a means of controlling foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum and Listeria in fruits and vegetables," said Worobo. He is also establishing collaborative work with Dr. Jim Russell, Department of Microbiology, at Cornell in Ithaca, to deal with bacteriocins isolated from ruminant microorganisms.
"Things are coming together with great speed in the lab and I am impressed by the enthusiasm and support that the people at the Experiment Station and Cornell have shown me," he said.
Dr. Worobo received his B.Sc. in 1990 in Food Science and his Ph.D. in 1995 in Food Microbiology from the University of Alberta in Canada. During that time, he was a laboratory demonstrator and teaching assistant and a sessional lecturer in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences. He also served as the Graduate Student Representative of this department for over two years.
In 1995, Worobo became a Postdoctoral fellow in the Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et d'Ingenierie Genetique at Univeriste de Poitiers, in France. There he researched the genetics of antimicrobial peptide resistance mechanisms in Listeria monocytogenes.
Dr. Worobo has written several publications and delivered presentations in Canada, the Netherlands, France, and the USA. He is a member of Cornell's Institute of Food Science and is on the Northeast Regional Food Safety Initiative Committee.
Click on photographs to view 300 dpi version.
Contact: Linda McCandless, Communications Services
Telephone: (315) 787-2417
e-mail: llm3@cornell.edu
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