Professor Carol Phillips

Carol PhillipsPost Held

Associate Dean, Research and Knowledge Transfer

Contact details

Email: carol.phillips@northampton.ac.uk
Telephone: 01604 892309
Fax: 01604 791954

Qualifications

BSc, PhD, C. Biol., M.I. Biol., FIFST

After graduating with a BSc and PhD in Microbiology from Cardiff University, Professor Phillips carried out post doctorial research at Sussex University and the Cancer Research Institute.  She worked for several years in a NHS pathology laboratory. Coming to The University as a lecturer in 1990, she is now Associate Dean in the School of Health with responsibility for Research and Knowledge Transfer. She is also President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

Research interests

Professor Phillips' main research interests are the survival of food pathogens and spoilage bacteria in the environment and on food and the effect of novel anti-microbial compounds, particularly essential oils, on  the growth and survival of bacteria.

Present research students are studying

  •  Cross contamination in the community healthcare  environment
  • Survival mechanisms in bacteria
  • Essential oils as anti-microbials

Recent publications

  • Fisher, K and Phillips, C.A. (2006).  The effect of lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils and their components on the survival of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli 0157, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus  in vitro and in food systems.  Journal of Applied Microbiology, 101, 1232-1240.
  • Fisher, K., Rowe, C. and Phillips, C.A. (2007). The survival of three strains of Arcobacter butzleri in the presence of lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils and their components in vitro and on food.  Letters in Applied Microbiology, 44, 495-499.
    Walker, M and Phillips, C.A. (2007).  The growth of Propionibacterium cyclohexanicum in fruit juices and its survival following elevated temperature treatments.   Food Microbiology, 24, 313-318.
  • Walker, M and Phillips, C.A. (2007). The effect of preservatives on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and Propionibacterium cyclohexanicum in fruit juices. Food Control, doi:10.1016/j.foodcontrol.2007.10.003
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. (2008). The use of essential oils as anti-microbials: is citrus the answer? Trends in Food Science and Technology, 19, 156-164.
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. (2009) The mechanism of action of a citrus oil blend against Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 106, 1343-1349.
  • Fisher, K. , Phillips, C.  and McWatt, L.  (2009). The use of an antimicrobial citrus vapour to reduce Enterococcus sp. on salad products, International Journal of Food Science and Technology. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2009.01992.x
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. (2009). The ecology, epidemiology and virulence of Enterococcus. Microbiology, 155, 1749-1757.

International conference presentations

  • Phillips, C.A. and Bates, P. (2003). Survival of Arcobacter butzleri in acidic conditions. 12th International Conference on Campylobacter, Helicobacters and Related Organisms. Aarhus, Denmark. September 6-10th.
  • Rowe, C., Phillips, C.A.  and Forsythe, S.  (2005).The effect of different temperature regimes on the growth and survival of Arcobacter spp. Campylobacter, Helicobacter and Related Organisms
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. The effect of citrus oils and vapours (lemon, orange or bergamot) and their components on the survival of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in vitro and on food. FOOD MICRO 2006 - Food safety and food biotechnology: diversity and global impact. 20th International ICFMH Symposium, Bologna, Italy August 28th - 1st September 2006.
  • Rowe, C., Phillips, C.A. and Forsythe, S. The effect of different disinfectant regimes on Arcobacter butzleri. FOOD MICRO 2006 - Food safety and food biotechnology: diversity and global impact. 20th International ICFMH Symposium, Bologna, Italy August 28th - 1st September 2006.
  • Walker, M. and Phillips, C.A. Survival of Propionibacterium cyclohexanicum, a novel contaminant of orange juice, after various temperature treatments. FOOD MICRO 2006 - Food safety and food biotechnology: diversity and global impact. 20th International ICFMH Symposium, Bologna, Italy August 28th - 1st September 2006.
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. (2007). The use of hurdle technology (citrus essential oils, temperature and pH) to control the growth of Enterococcus spp. ASM conference, Toronto, Canada. May 21-25th 2007.
  • Fisher, K. and Phillips, C.A. (2009). The effect of an antimicrobial citrus essential oil vapour on Enterococcus spp. on food. Society for General Microbiology conference, Harrogate, UK March.
  • Hastings, R., Shepperd, S. and Phillips, C.A. Effect of antimicrobial chicken crates on numbers of Campylobacter transported between chicken flocks. Health Protection Agency conference, September 2008, Warwick, UK.
  • Tudor, T.L., Woolridge, A.W. , Holliday, M.,  Fisher, K., Edgar, J.E., Bannister, S.,  Rushbrook, P.&  Phillips, C. (2009).  Examining links between the management of waste and the spread of healthcare associated infections within the NHS in England: a case study approach. NIHR Annual conference, June.
 

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