Mike Peck

Programme Leader

Research Area: Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

Contact Details:

Institute of Food Research,
Norwich Research Park,
Colney, Norwich,
NR4 7UA
UK
mike.peck@ifr.ac.uk

Research interests

Basic/strategic aspects of the physiology and molecular biology of Clostridium botulinum (and other foodborne pathogens), and applying research findings (including developments in mathematical biology, such as risk assessment) to address issues faced by industry and regulators.

Selected Publications

Carter A. T., Pearson B. M., Crossman L. C., Drou N., Heavens D., Baker D., Febrer M., Caccamo M., Grant K. A., Peck M. W. (2011)
Complete genome sequence of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type A5 (B3’) strain H04402 065
Journal of Bacteriology 193 (9) 2351-2352
DOI:10.1128/JB.00072-11

Cooksley C. M., Davis I. J., Winzer K., Cockayne A., Chan W. C., Peck M. W., Minton N. P. (2010)
Regulation of neurotoxin production and sporulation by a putative agrBD signaling system in proteolytic Clostridium botulinum
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 76 (13) 4448-4460

Peck M. W., Plowman J., Aldus C. F., Wyatt G. M., Penaloza Izurieta W., Stringer S. C., Barker G. C. (2010)
Development and application of a new method for specific and sensitive enumeration of spores of nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum types B, E and F in foods and food materials
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 76 (19) 6607-6614

Carter A. T., Paul C. J., Mason D. R., Twine S. M., Alston M., Logan S. E., Austin J. W., Peck M. W. (2009)
Independent evolution of neurotoxin and flagellar genetic loci in proteolytic Clostridium botulinum
BMC Genomics 10 115
DOI:10.1186/1471-2164-10-115

Peck M. W. (2009)
Biology and genomic analysis of Clostridium botulinum
Advances in Microbial Physiology 55 183-265

Stringer S. C., Webb M. D., Peck M. W. (2009)
Contrasting effects of heat-treatment and incubation temperature on germination and outgrowth of individual spores of nonproteolytic clostridium botulinum
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75 (9) 2712-2719

Grant K. A., Kenyon S., Nwafor I., Plowman J., Ohia C., Halford-Maw R., Peck M. W., McLauchlin J. (2008)
The identification and characterisation of Clostridium perfringens by real-time PCR, location of enterotoxin gene, and heat resistance
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 5 (5) 629-639

Recent Publications

Rolfe M. D., Rice C. J., Lucchini S., Pin C., Thompson A., Cameron A., Alston M., Stringer M. F., Betts R. P., Baranyi J., Peck M. W., Hinton J. C. D. (2012)
Lag phase is a distinct growth phase that prepares bacteria for exponential growth and involves transient metal accumulation
Journal of Bacteriology 194 686-701

Adam K. H., Brunt J., Brightwell G., Flint S. H., Peck M. W. (2011)
Spore germination of the psychrotolerant, red meat spoiler, Clostridium frigidicarnis
Letters in Applied Microbiology 53 (1) 92-97
DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765X.2011.03071.x

Malakar P. K., Barker G. C., Peck M. W. (2011)
Quantitative risk assessment for hazards that arise from non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in minimally processed chilled dairy-based foods
Food Microbiology 28 (2) 321-330

Peck M. W., Stringer S. C., Carter A. T. (2011)
Clostridium botulinum in the post-genomic era
Food Microbiology 28 (2) 183-191

Stringer S. C., Webb M. D., Peck M. W. (2011)
Lag time variability in individual spores of Clostridium botulinum
Food Microbiology 28 (2) 228-235
DOI:10.1016/j.fm.2010.03.003

Artin I., Mason D. R., Pin C., Schelin J., Peck M. W., Holst E., Radstrom P., Carter A. T. (2010)
Effects of carbon dioxide on growth of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum, its ability to produce neurotoxin, and its transcriptome
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 76 (4) 1168-1172

Brunt J., Webb M. D., Peck M. W. (2010)
Rapid affinity immunochromatography column-based tests for sensitive detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins and Escherichia coli o157
Applied And Environmental Microbiology 76 (13) 4143-4150
DOI:10.1128/AEM.03059-09

Carter A. T., Mason D. R., Grant K. A., Franciosa G., Aureli P., Peck M. W. (2010)
Further characterisation of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type A5 reveals that neurotoxin formation is unaffected by loss of the CntR (BotR) promoter sigma factor binding site
Journal of Clinical Microbiology 48 (3) 1012-1013
DOI:10.1128/JCM.01774-09

Peck M. W. (2010)
Clostridium botulinum
(Ed: Juneja V. K., Sofos J. N.) Pathogens and Toxins in Foods: Challenges and Interventions
Washington DC: ASM Press
(n/a) p31-52