An introduction to Molecular Biology (Omics) in Food Microbiology

Molecular biological tools are developing in biology at a dazzling pace. These omics tools cover full genome sequencing (originally coined genomics), genomewide transcript analysis (transcriptomics), full protein analysis (proteomics), as well as the analysis of cellular or organism metabolism captured under the term metabolomics. In metabolism, not only the metabolic capacity but also a time resolved analysis of its use (i.e., metabolic fluxes) is strived for. The data generated using these tools allow researchers to gain detailed insight into microbial characteristics and responses to changes in the environment, allowing for mechanistic explanations of the response of microorganisms to food preservation treatments and improving food safety risk assessment. For such analyses, it is important that the monitoring of outbreaks in the food chain is enhanced by the contemporary development of omics-based detection systems.