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Division:
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REUT
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Status:
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Federal, NOAA Fisheries
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Job Title:
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Microbiologist
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Phone:
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206-860-3421
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Email:
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send e-mail
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Programs:
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NWFSC Publications
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Background
Rohinee Paranjpye has worked as a microbiologist at the NWFSC since 1979. Previous research, as part of the microbiology product quality and safety team at the NWFSC, was aimed at improving the safety and marketability of fishery products by identifying the hazards and critical control points of processing (HACCP) in products such as smoked fish, crab, crab analogs and shrimp. These studies were focused on determining process parameters at critical control points that increase the safety of fishery products, in relation to the growth and inhibition of several pathogenic and potentially pathogenic microorganisms such as Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes, two organisms that have caused serious public health and economic problems because of concern of disease and recalls of the products. The team was also involved with assisting the industry with the control or elimination of these organisms from their products. Rohinee has a B.S in Chemistry (India), a B.S. in Microbiology (University of Washington, 1979) and a M.S. in Fisheries Science (U of Washington 1998). She is currently a Ph.D candidate in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle.
Current Research
Current research is aimed at the identification and characterization of the virulence determinants of Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that naturally inhabits estuarine environments and colonizes molluscan shellfish. This bacterium is extremely virulent in susceptible individuals, primarily through consumption of raw oysters and is responsible for the majority of Vibrio-related fatalities in the U.S. Our research is aimed at determining the role of surface structures, called pili or fimbrae and other secreted proteins expressed by the bacterium, in pathogenesis and in persistence of the bacterium in oysters. Identification of such factors involved in adherence of the bacterium could potentially be used for therapeutic intervention in human infections and aid in the development of methods to prevent binding of the bacteria to oysters.
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