Bezanson, Gregory, Ph.D.

RES-02, Microbiologist

Contact Information:

32 Main St.
Kentville, Nova Scotia B4N 1J5
Telephone: 902-679-5503
Fax: 902-679-2311
Email: greg.bezanson@agr.gc.ca

Microbiologic safety and quality of horticultural products. Microbial ecology of pre, post-harvest, and packaged produce. Isolation and characterization of plant, soil, and water-borne human pathogens using traditional, molecular and biochemical typing methods. Antibiotic susceptibility screening. Assessment of bacterial strain similarities.

Under WBSE coding F.0885.32 "Ecology of human pathogens colonizing pre and post harvest, ready-to-use and minimall-processed produce"
Development/optimization of rapid (molecular, culture-based) methods for identifying and characterizing the bacterial complements of leafy vegetables and elucidating the nature of their interactions on the leaf surface.
Assessment of contaminated irrigation water as a source of pathgen innoculum for lettuce
Quantification of consumer-ready raw vegetables as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes for consimers
Evaluation of low temperature thermal treatment as a means for controlling pathogen contamination on fresh-cut fruit and vegetables

Adjunct Professor, Acadia University
Board, Atlantic Canada Society for Microbial Ecology
Member, American Society for Microbiology (Applied and Environmental Microbiology)

The links below lead to abstracts with access to full text.

Bezanson, G.S., Delaquis, P.J., Bach, S.J., McKellar, R., Topp, E., Gill, A.O., Blais, B., and Gilmour, M. (2012). "Comparative Examination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Survival on Romaine Lettuce and in Soil at Two Independent Experimental Sites.", Journal of Food Protection, 75(3), pp. 480-487. doi : 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-11-306
LeBlanc, D.I., Vigneault, C., Boutin, J., Toussaint, V., Charlebois, D., Forney, C.F., Bourgeois, G., Clément, A., and Bezanson, G.S. (2012). "Design and performance of a controlled environment mini-chamber for measuring produce quality deterioration.", Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B, 2, pp. 391-399.

Forney, C.F., Bezanson, G.S., Fan, L., Ells, T.C., and LeBlanc, D.I. (2012). "Development of the Low Temperature Thermal Treatment (LT3) Process to Sanitize Fresh-cut Cantaloupe.", United Fresh 2012, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX, USA, May 1-23, 2012. (Poster)

Bezanson, G.S., Ells, T.C., and Prange, R.K. (2011). "Effect of composting on microbial contamination and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables.", International Symposium on Organic Matter Management and Compost Use in Horticulture, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, April 3-7, 2011.
Fisher, M., Kristie, D.N., Hodges, D.M., and Bezanson, G.S. (2011). "Hydrogen peroxide treatment of fresh-cut spinach: potential for enhancement of shelf life and microbiological safety.", Plant Canada 2011, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada, July 17-21, 2011.

Bezanson, G.S. (2009). "Methodology workshop: Recovery, enumeration and confirmation of generic E. coli from agricultural soil, water and manures samples. SAGES project # 1465 training lecture, September 2009, Kentville, NS." (Technology transfer)
Bezanson, G.S., MacInnis, R., and Jamieson, R.C. (2009). "Bacterial Source Tracking.", WEBS-Thomas Brook/Cornwallis Headwaters Society Update Workshop, Kentville NS, Canada, Marach 2009. (Presentation)
Bezanson, G.S., Wood, J.D., and Gordon, R.J. (2009). "Natural Disinfection using UV Light.", Nova Scotia Federation of Agricuture/Horticulture Nova Scotia Joint Workshop on Agriculture Water, Greenwich, NS, Canada, April 2009. (Presentation)
Delaquis, P.J., Bach, S.J., LeBlanc, D.I., Brassard, J., Houde, A., Villeneuve, S., Bezanson, G.S., Diarra, M.S., Topp, E., Blais, B., Gajadhar, A., Bisaillon, J.-R., Fazil, A.M., Gilmour, M., Mattison, K., and Bidawid, S. (2009). "A systems-based approach for the assessment of microbiological threats to the food supply.", 13th Annual Federal Food Safety and Nutrition Research Meeting (FFSNRM), Ottawa, ON, Canada, November 4-5, 2009. (Presentation)