A day in the life of Greg Jones

Greg Jones, microbiologist at Campden BRI, discusses the industrial significance of his role at Campden BRI.

What in your background prepared you for your current role?

Both my degree in biotechnology, and PhD in molecular microbiology involved handling microorganisms and getting to know the fascinating range of their metabolism and reproduction. This appreciation of the extraordinary diversity of the microbial world is invaluable when solving practical problems in an area as diverse as the food industry.

How has microbiological testing of foods changed over the years?

The current microbiological methods are tried and tested and are well able to deal with the food industry as it evolves. New molecular-biology based test methods and systems have been making some headway; however, the traditional methods have a huge advantage in that they are cheaper. In many cases a company does not need the increased information that a molecular technique delivers, and so the cheaper cultural method is used instead. In cases where a faster result is required, molecular techniques offer a clear advantage, and this is the area in which they are most frequently used.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

To single out any one piece of work as ‘my’ achievement would do a great disservice to my colleagues. The nature of the job requires exceptionally close teamwork across the organisation and a flexible approach from each team member. However, two training courses developed in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency stand out. We provided these training courses at various Local Authorities over 5 years, and by the end of the contract we had trained over 1500 Environmental Health Officers on Vacuum Packing and Sous-Vide cooking. These courses have had a positive impact on food safety in the UK.

Where do you think the next big issue will be in testing and analysis, and why?

“Big Data” will be the next issue, particularly gene sequence data. New sequencers have reduced the cost of sequencing a whole bacterial genome to roughly the same price as serotyping a pathogenic bacterium. We are currently establishing the potential of whole genome sequencing to type outbreak strains, both viral and bacterial. Some larger food companies are actively investigating the use of this technology. The issue is not data generation, but handling it - that is, examining and interpreting it.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day does not exist for me: a typical month could have me discussing a client’s needs then planning experiments to address the issue and helping our technical staff in the lab. I am also responsible for data analysis and reporting. As well as confidential client work, we also carry out research that is funded by our members, and I manage some of these projects, which involves day-to-day planning and reporting back to our members via our Member Interest Groups. I could also be asked to go off-site to run a training course or to visit a factory if they are having particular issues. I also need to be available to answer our clients’ enquiries when they need some further input into a project or issue.

Contact: Greg Jones
+44(0)1386 842143
greg.jones@campdenbri.co.uk