Lars Axelsson

Research interests and competence: I belong to the microbiology group where I am mainly working in research projects related to the studies and applications of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in food.

These studies have been focused on basic research on the molecular biology of antimicrobial activity of LAB, such as bacteriocins; development of genetic tools for lactobacilli; physiology and genetics of lactic acid production; development and application of starter cultures for meat fermentation; development and application of protective cultures for meat and fish products; probiotic activity of LAB and identification/classification of bacteria using DNA techniques. These studies involve the use of both advanced methods in genetics and molecular biology, classical microbiology and fermentation technology.
Education: BSc in microbiology/biochemistry, Umeå University, Sweden (1984). PhD in microbiology (studies on Lactobacillus reuteri) from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (1990).

Food safety and quality

See publications in Cristin

My Projects

Precision

Precision Food Production

2021 - 2025

SusHealth

Healthy and sustainable future with Norwegian agricultural products and ingredients

2021 - 2024

FutureFoodControl

Food safety, reduced food waste and sustainable packaging

2021 - 2024

TryggRakfisk

New Technology for Increasing Food Safety in the Production of Rakfisk

2021 - 2024

Phagepowder

Sustainable, Effective and Natural Inhibition of Food-Borne Pathogens by Advanced Phage Technology

2020 - 2024

BIOCOAT

Sustainable biocoating of probiotic cheese with biodegradable packaging

2021 - 2023

FoodMicro-Pack

Safe and durable food, optimal packaging concepts and reduced food waste

2017 - 2020

My publications

Lars Axelsson has 81 publications at Nofima:

Screening for Antifungal Indigenous Lactobacilli Strains Isolated from Local Fermented Milk for Developing Bioprotective Fermentates and Coatings Based on Acid Whey Protein Concentrate for Fresh Cheese Quality Maintenance

Microorganisms, 2023
Academic article

Application of Edible Coating Based on Liquid Acid Whey Protein Concentrate with Indigenous Lactobacillus helveticus for Acid-Curd Cheese Quality Improvement

Foods, 2022
Academic article

Controlled Release of Volatile Antimicrobial Compounds from Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers for Active Food Packaging Applications

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
Academic article

Heterologous Protein Production in Lactobacillus (plantarum) Using pSIP Vectors

Methods in molecular biology, 2022
Academic article

Inorganic Nanocarriers for Encapsulation of Natural Antimicrobial Compounds for Potential Food Packaging Application: A Comparative Study

Nanomaterials, 2021
Academic article

Probiotic Carnobacterium divergens increase growth parameters and disease resistance in farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae without influencing the microbiota

Aquaculture, 2021
Academic article

Analysis of Megavariate Data in Functional Omics

2020
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

The effects of a pilot-scale steam decontamination system on the hygiene and sensory quality of chicken carcasses

Food Control, 2020
Academic article

Growth Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in a Traditional Norwegian Fermented Fish Product (Rakfisk), and Its Inhibition through Bacteriophage Addition

Foods, 2020
Academic article

Large Plasmid Complement Resolved: Complete Genome Sequencing of Lactobacillus plantarum MF1298, a Candidate Probiotic Strain Associated with Unfavorable Effect

Microorganisms, 2019
Academic article

Lactic acid bacteria: an introduction

2019
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Exploring the brine microbiota of a traditional Norwegian fermented fish product (Rakfisk) from six different producers during two consecutive seasonal productions

Foods, 2019
Academic article

Pretreatment of different food rest materials for bioconversion into fungal lipid-rich biomass

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2018
Academic article

Survival of Five Strains of Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli in a Sausage Fermentation Model and Subsequent Sensitivity to Stress from Gastric Acid and Intestinal Fluid

International Journal of Microbiology, 2017
Academic article

Effects of glucose availability in Lactobacillus sakei; metabolic change and regulation of the proteome and transcriptome

PLOS ONE, 2017
Academic article

Health and safety considerations of fermented sausages

Journal of Food Quality, 2017
Academic literature review

Effect of relevant environmental stresses on survival of enterohemorrhagic Esherichia coli in dry-fermented sausage

International journal of food microbiology, 2016
Academic article

Antimicrobial resistance and residues in the EU – current situation and possible countermeasures, emphasis on Campylobacter and Salmonella

Quality Assurance and Safety of crops & foods, 2016
Academic literature review

Predicting the concentration of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli bacteria during processing and storage of fermented raw-meat sausages

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2014
Academic article

Heterologous protein secretion in lactobacilli with modified pSIP vectors

PLOS ONE, 2014
Academic article

Role of Lactobacillus reuteri cell and mucusbinding protein A (CmbA) in adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells and mucus in vitro

Microbiology (Reading), 2014
Academic article

Effects of post-processing treatments on sensory quality and Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli reductions in dry-fermented sausages

Meat Science, 2013
Academic article

Heterogeneity in resistance to food-related stresses and biofilm formation ability among verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains

International journal of food microbiology, 2013
Academic article

Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli show strain dependent reductions under dry-fermented sausage production and post-processing conditions

International journal of food microbiology, 2012
Academic article

Genome Sequence of the Naturally Plasmid-Free Lactobacillus plantarum Strain NC8 (CCUG 61730)

Journal of Bacteriology, 2012
Academic article

Microarray-based transcriptome of Listeria monocytogenes adapted to sublethal concentrations of acetic acid, lactic acid, and hydrochloric acid

Canadian Journal of Microbiology (print), 2012
Academic article

In vitro testing of commercial and potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria

International journal of food microbiology, 2012
Academic article

Global transcriptome response in Lactobacillus sakei during growth on ribose

BMC Microbiology, 2011
Academic article

Functional analysis of the role of CggR (central glycolytic gene regulator) in Lactobacillus plantarum by transcriptome analysis

Microbial Biotechnology, 2011
Academic article

High Stability of Stx2 Phage in Food and under Food-Processing Conditions

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2011
Academic article

Reduction of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in production of fermented sausages

Meat Science, 2011
Academic article

Global Transcriptional Analysis of Spontaneous Sakacin P-Resistant Mutant Strains of Listeria monocytogenes during Growth on Different Sugars

PLOS ONE, 2011
Academic article

Intra- and Interlaboratory Performances of Two Commercial Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods for Bifidobacteria and Nonenterococcal Lactic Acid Bacteria

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2010
Academic article

Complex Phenotypic and Genotypic Responses of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Exposed to the Class IIa Bacteriocin Sakacin

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2009
Academic article

Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1

BMC Genomics, 2009
Academic article

The ace-art database – antibiotic susceptibility of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in relation to their biological, geographical and chronological origin

International Journal of Probiotics and Prebiotics, 2008
Academic article

Antimicrobial susceptibility and proposed microbiological cut-off Values of lactobacilli by phenotypic determination

International Journal of Probiotics and Prebiotics, 2008
Academic article

Co-factor engineering in lactobacilli: Effects of uncoupled ATPase activity on metabolic fluxes in Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum and L. sakei

Metabolic Engineering, 2008
Academic article

Isolation of constitutive variants of a subfamily 10 histidine protein kinase (SppK) from Lactobacillus using random mutagenesis

Archives of Microbiology, 2006
Academic article

A synthetic promoter library for constitutive gene expression in Lactobacillus plantarum

Microbiology (Reading), 2006
Academic article

Isolation of constitutive variants of a subfamily 10 histidine protein kinase (SppK) from Lactobacillus using random mutagenesis

Archives of Microbiology, 2006
Academic article

Improved expression and purification of the correctly folded response regulator PlnC from lactobacilli

Journal of Microbiological Methods, 2006
Academic article

Characterization of a new bacteriocin operon in sakacin P-producing Lactobacillus sakei, showing strong translational coupling between the bacteriocin and immunity genes

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2005
Academic article

Sakacin P non-producing Lactobacillus sakei strains contain homologues of the sakacin P gene cluster

Research in Microbiology, 2005
Academic article

Identification of potential probiotic starter cultures for Scandinavian-type fermented sausages

International journal of food microbiology, 2005
Academic article

Characterization of a new bacteriocin operon in sakacin P-producing lactobacillus sakei showing strong translational coupling between the bacteriocicn and immunity genes

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2005
Academic article

Bacterial lessons in sausage making

Nature Biotechnology, 2005
Academic article

Plasmid p256 from Lactobacillus plantarum represents a new type of replicon in lactic acid bacteria and contains a toxin-antitoxin plasmid maintenance system

Microbiology (Reading), 2005
Academic article

High-level, inducible gene expression in Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus planatarum using versatile expression vectors

Microbiology (Reading), 2005
Academic article

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes in chicken cold cuts by addition of sakacin P and sakacin P-producing Lactobacillus sakei

Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2002
Academic article

Production of class II bacteriocins by lactic acid bacteria; an example of biological warfare and communication

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology, 2002
Academic article

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes in cold smoked salmon by addition of sakacin P and/or live Lactobacillus sakei cultures

Food Microbiology, 2001
Academic article

Characterization and growth of Bacillus spp. in heat-treated cream with and without nisin

Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2001
Academic article

The synthesis of the bacteriocin sakacin A is a temperature-sensitive process regulated by a pheromone peptide through a three-component regulatory system

Microbiology (Reading), 2000
Academic article

A C-terminal disulfide bridge in pediocin-like bacteriocins renders bacteriocin activity less temperature dependent and is a major determinant of the antimicrobial spectrum

Journal of Bacteriology, 2000
Academic article

My Projects

Precision Food Production

Healthy and sustainable future with Norwegian agricultural products and ingredients

Food safety, reduced food waste and sustainable packaging

New Technology for Increasing Food Safety in the Production of Rakfisk

Sustainable, Effective and Natural Inhibition of Food-Borne Pathogens by Advanced Phage Technology

Sustainable biocoating of probiotic cheese with biodegradable packaging

Safe and durable food, optimal packaging concepts and reduced food waste

My publications

Screening for Antifungal Indigenous Lactobacilli Strains Isolated from Local Fermented Milk for Developing Bioprotective Fermentates and Coatings Based on Acid Whey Protein Concentrate for Fresh Cheese Quality Maintenance

Application of Edible Coating Based on Liquid Acid Whey Protein Concentrate with Indigenous Lactobacillus helveticus for Acid-Curd Cheese Quality Improvement

Controlled Release of Volatile Antimicrobial Compounds from Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers for Active Food Packaging Applications

Heterologous Protein Production in Lactobacillus (plantarum) Using pSIP Vectors

Inorganic Nanocarriers for Encapsulation of Natural Antimicrobial Compounds for Potential Food Packaging Application: A Comparative Study

Probiotic Carnobacterium divergens increase growth parameters and disease resistance in farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae without influencing the microbiota

Analysis of Megavariate Data in Functional Omics

The effects of a pilot-scale steam decontamination system on the hygiene and sensory quality of chicken carcasses

Growth Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in a Traditional Norwegian Fermented Fish Product (Rakfisk), and Its Inhibition through Bacteriophage Addition

Large Plasmid Complement Resolved: Complete Genome Sequencing of Lactobacillus plantarum MF1298, a Candidate Probiotic Strain Associated with Unfavorable Effect

Lactic acid bacteria: an introduction

Exploring the brine microbiota of a traditional Norwegian fermented fish product (Rakfisk) from six different producers during two consecutive seasonal productions

Pretreatment of different food rest materials for bioconversion into fungal lipid-rich biomass

Survival of Five Strains of Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli in a Sausage Fermentation Model and Subsequent Sensitivity to Stress from Gastric Acid and Intestinal Fluid

Effects of glucose availability in Lactobacillus sakei; metabolic change and regulation of the proteome and transcriptome

Health and safety considerations of fermented sausages

Effect of relevant environmental stresses on survival of enterohemorrhagic Esherichia coli in dry-fermented sausage

Antimicrobial resistance and residues in the EU – current situation and possible countermeasures, emphasis on Campylobacter and Salmonella

Fermented and ripened fish products in the northern European countries

Immunomodulation of monocytes by probiotic and selected lactic acid bacteria

Heterologous protein secretion in lactobacilli with modified pSIP vectors

North European products

Microbes versus microbes: Control of pathogens in the food chain

Predicting the concentration of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli bacteria during processing and storage of fermented raw-meat sausages

Heterologous protein secretion in lactobacilli with modified pSIP vectors

Role of Lactobacillus reuteri cell and mucusbinding protein A (CmbA) in adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells and mucus in vitro

Establishment of a Simple Lactobacillus plantarum Cell Consortium for Cellulase-Xylanase Synergistic Interactions

Genome sequence of Lactobacillus sakei subsp. sakei LS 25, a commercial starter culture strain for fermented sausage

Stronger T cell immunogenicity of ovalbumin expressed intracellularly in Gram-negative than in Gram-positive bacteria

Cleaning of conveyor belt materials using ultrasound in a thin layer of water

Effects of post-processing treatments on sensory quality and Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli reductions in dry-fermented sausages

Heterogeneity in resistance to food-related stresses and biofilm formation ability among verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains

Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli show strain dependent reductions under dry-fermented sausage production and post-processing conditions

Genome Sequence of the Naturally Plasmid-Free Lactobacillus plantarum Strain NC8 (CCUG 61730)

Microarray-based transcriptome of Listeria monocytogenes adapted to sublethal concentrations of acetic acid, lactic acid, and hydrochloric acid

In vitro testing of commercial and potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Global transcriptome response in Lactobacillus sakei during growth on ribose

Functional analysis of the role of CggR (central glycolytic gene regulator) in Lactobacillus plantarum by transcriptome analysis

High Stability of Stx2 Phage in Food and under Food-Processing Conditions

Reduction of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in production of fermented sausages

Global Transcriptional Analysis of Spontaneous Sakacin P-Resistant Mutant Strains of Listeria monocytogenes during Growth on Different Sugars

Intra- and Interlaboratory Performances of Two Commercial Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods for Bifidobacteria and Nonenterococcal Lactic Acid Bacteria

Reduction of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli by process and recipe optimisation in dry-fermented sausages

Application of high pressure processing to reduce verotoxigenic E-coli in two types of dry-fermented sausage

Primary metabolism in Lactobacillus sakei food isolates by proteomic analysis

A candidate probiotic with unfavourable effects in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial

Complex Phenotypic and Genotypic Responses of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Exposed to the Class IIa Bacteriocin Sakacin

Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1

The ace-art database – antibiotic susceptibility of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in relation to their biological, geographical and chronological origin

Antimicrobial susceptibility and proposed microbiological cut-off Values of lactobacilli by phenotypic determination

Co-factor engineering in lactobacilli: Effects of uncoupled ATPase activity on metabolic fluxes in Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum and L. sakei

Diversity of Lactobacillus sakei strains investigated by phenotypic and genotypic methods

Heterologous protein secretion by Lactobacillus plantarum using homologous signal peptides

Characterisation of the gap Operon from Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus sakei

Isolation of constitutive variants of a subfamily 10 histidine protein kinase (SppK) from Lactobacillus using random mutagenesis

A synthetic promoter library for constitutive gene expression in Lactobacillus plantarum

Isolation of constitutive variants of a subfamily 10 histidine protein kinase (SppK) from Lactobacillus using random mutagenesis

Improved expression and purification of the correctly folded response regulator PlnC from lactobacilli

Characterization of a new bacteriocin operon in sakacin P-producing Lactobacillus sakei, showing strong translational coupling between the bacteriocin and immunity genes

Sakacin P non-producing Lactobacillus sakei strains contain homologues of the sakacin P gene cluster

Identification of potential probiotic starter cultures for Scandinavian-type fermented sausages

Characterization of a new bacteriocin operon in sakacin P-producing lactobacillus sakei showing strong translational coupling between the bacteriocicn and immunity genes

Bacterial lessons in sausage making

Plasmid p256 from Lactobacillus plantarum represents a new type of replicon in lactic acid bacteria and contains a toxin-antitoxin plasmid maintenance system

High-level, inducible gene expression in Lactobacillus sakei and Lactobacillus planatarum using versatile expression vectors

The lactic acid bacteria, the food chain, and their regulation

Use of bacteriocin promoters for gene expression in Lactobacillus plantarum C11

High-level gene expression in Lactobacillus plantarum using a pheromone-regulated bacteriocin promoter

Interactions of the bacteriocins sakacin P and nisin with food constituents

Differences in susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes strains to sakacin P, sakacin A, pediocin PA-1 and nisin

Development of an inducible gene expression system for Lactobacillus sakei