Fundamental Food Microbiology, Third Edition - Fuad Fathir

The Author
Bibek Ray, Ph.D., was a professor of food microbiology in the Department of
Animal Science at the University of Wyoming, Laramie. Professor Ray earned B.S.
and M.S. degrees in veterinary science from the University of Calcutta and University
of Madras, in India, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in food science from the
University of Minnesota in 1970 and joined the faculty in the Department of Food
Science, North Carolina State University, and then the Department of Biology at
Shaw University, both at Raleigh. He joined the University of Wyoming in 1981.
There he expanded his research to intestinal beneficial bacteria, bacteriocins of
Gram-positive bacteria, and high hydrostatic pressure preservation of food along
with his previous research activities in the area of microbial sublethal injury. He
also taught courses in food microbiology, food fermentation, food safety, and a
course titled “Safety of Our Food” to nonscience undergraduates. His laboratory
was involved in extensive and thorough studies in both basic and applied areas of
the bacteriocin pediocin AcH from Pediococcus acidilactici H. In addition, his group
studied various aspects of bacteriocins produced by Lactococcus, Leuconostoc,
Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus as well as Bacillus and Staphylococcus spp. He
received research funding from the National Science Foundation, American Public
Health Association, National Live Stock and Meat Board, United States Department
of Agriculture, United States Army Research, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(with Turkey) and Binational Agriculture Research Development Agency (with
Israel), Wyoming Development Fund, and the industry. Before retirement, he was
studying the combined effect of bacteriocins, ultrahigh hydrostatic pressure, and
pulse field electricity and sublethal injury on the destruction of microbial cells and
spores and its application in food preservation. In addition, Dr. Ray established
collaborative research programs with research institutes and universities in Turkey,
Israel, India, Indonesia, and France.
Professor Ray has published more than 100 research articles, reviews, book
chapters, proceedings articles, and popular articles on food microbiology. He has also
edited four books: Injured Index and Pathogenic Bacteria (1989) and Food Biopreservatives
of Microbial Origin (1992, with Dr. M.A. Daeschel), both published by CRC
Press, Boca Raton, Florida; Lactic Acid Bacteria: Current Advances in Metabolism,
Genetics, and Applications (1996, with Dr. Faruk Bozoglu), Springer, New York; and
Novel Processing and Control Technologies in the Food Industry (1999, with Dr.
Faruk Bozoglu and Tibor Deak), IOS Press, Washington, D.C. He was a member of
the American Society for Microbiology and the Institute of Food Technologists and
a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. He also served on the editorial
boards of the Journal of Food Protection, Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
and the Indian Journal of Microbiology. In 1994, Professor Ray was awarded the
University of Wyoming Presidential Achievement Award in recognition of his excellence
in academic performance. He retired from the University of Wyoming in
September 2002. He is presently involved in developing a center to improve health,
education, and economic conditions of underprivileged people in his village of birth
in India and spends a great deal of his time in the village.