Jeferson M. Lourenco, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia. He started his career managing commercial dairy and beef-producing farms in Brazil and accumulated almost a decade of experience in that role. After moving to the U.S., he pursued his M.S. degree and Ph.D. at the University of Georgia. He also holds a B.S. degree from the State University of Maringá and a D.V.M. from Unicesumar, both in Brazil. Dr. Lourenco has been working with microbiology applied to animal sciences, bioinformatics, and biostatistics utilizing several animal species (particularly cattle, chicken, and swine). His research relies heavily on metagenomic approaches. He is also interested in the biologically relevant metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids) produced by microorganisms, which may have a significant impact on animal health and productivity.
In this article, the authors discuss the mechanisms by which food safety can be improved on the farm, along with some of the treatments that are effective today and likely will be available in the near future.
