Education:

• Ph.D. Microbiology, North Carolina State University, 1987
• Diplom, Microbiology and Plant Physiology, Universitaet Hohenheim, 1983

Research:

Microbial food safety, microbial ecology and nucleic acid-based detection of bacteria.

Current Projects:

• Phylogenetic analysis of the bacteria in the intestinal tract of chickens
• Detection of bacterial pathogens on fruits and vegetables

Publications (selection):

• Higgins, J., Hohn, C., Hornor, S., Frana, M., Denver, M., and Joerger, R. 2007. Genotyping of Escherichia coli from environmental and animal samples. J. Microbiol. Methods. Doi:10.1016/jmimet.2007.04.009
• Joerger, R. D. 2007. Antimictobial films for food applications: an analysis of quantitative results. Packaging Science and Technology. Published Online:  24 Apr 2007
  DOI: 10.1002/pts.774
• Guan D, Joerger RD, Kniel KE, Calci KR, Hicks DT, Pivarnik LF and Hoover DG. 2006. Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on four genotypes of F-specific RNA bacteriophages (f2, GA, Qβ and SP) J. Applied Microbiology. In press.
• Joerger, R. D, H. Chen, and K. E. Kniel. 2006. Characterization of a spontaneous, pressure-tolerant Listeria monocytogenes Scott A ctsR deletion mutant. Foodborne Pathogens & Disease. 3:196-202.
• Joerger, R. D. and T. Ross. 2005. Genotypic diversity of Escherichia coli isolated from cecal content and mucosa of one- to six-week-old broilers. Poult. Sci. 84:1902-1907.
• Chen, H., R. D. Joerger, D. H. Kingsley, and D. G. Hoover. Pressure Inactivation Kinetics of phage λ CI857 and Comparison with Hepatitis A Virus. J. Food Prot.     67:505-511.
• Zhu, X. Y, and R. D. Joerger. 2003. Composition of Microbiota in Content and Mucus from Cecae of Broiler Chickens as Measured by Group-specific, 16S rRNA-targeted Oligonucleotide Probe Hybridization. Poult. Science 82:1242-1249.
• Joerger, R. D. 2003. Alternatives to Antibiotics: Bacteriocins, Antimicrobial Peptides and Bacteriophages. Poult. Sci. 82:640-647.
• trapp, C. M., A. E. H. Shearer, and R. D. Joerger. 2003. Survey of Retail Alfalfa Sprouts and Mushrooms for the Presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Listeria Using BAX, and Evaluation of this PCR-Based System with Experimentally Contaminated Samples. J. Food Prot. 66:182-187.
• Zhu, X. Y., T. Zhong, Y. Pandya, and R. D. Joerger. 2002. 16S rRNA-based analysis ofmicrobiota from the cecum of broiler chickens. Appl. Environm. Microbiol. Vol. 68. 68:124-137.

Current Teaching Responsibilities:

• FOSC 102: Food For Thought
• FOSC 359: Seminar in Food Sciences
• FOSC390: Honors Colloquium
• FOSC 411/611: Food Science Capstone
• FOSC 449/649: Food Biotechnology

Professional Activities

Member, American Society for Microbiology
Member, Institute of Food Technologists