Vincenzo Pennone

@grupposandonato.it

Gruppo San Donato



                          

https://researchid.co/vincenzopennone

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Antibiotic resistance, microbioogy, genomics, metagenomics, biofilm, infections

20

Scopus Publications

367

Scholar Citations

11

Scholar h-index

12

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Antimicrobial Properties and Cytotoxicity of LL-37-Derived Synthetic Peptides to Treat Orthopedic Infections
    Vincenzo Pennone, Elisa Angelini, David Sarlah, and Arianna B. Lovati
    MDPI AG
    Open fractures and prosthetic joints are prone to bacterial infections, especially those involving biofilms, and are worsened by antibiotic inefficacy and resistance. This highlights the need for targeted treatments against orthopedic infections. LL-37, a human cathelicidin, is known for its antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate LL-37-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for antibacterial efficacy and toxicity. Several truncated LL-37 analogues were created and tested against 18 bacterial strains, both ATCC and orthopedic clinical isolates, using MIC and MBC assays. Synergy with antibiotics and resistance development were also analyzed, alongside cytotoxicity on NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and hemolytic activity assessments. Six AMPs were synthesized, with FK-16 and GF-17 emerging as the most effective. The MIC values ranged from 4.69 to 18.75 µg/mL and 2.34 to 18.75 µg/mL, respectively, against S. epidermidis and S. aureus, with the MBC values matching the MIC values. Cytotoxicity tests showed no toxicity at concentrations below 75 µg/mL for GF-17 and 150 µg/mL for FK-16. Hemolytic activity was below 1% at 18.75 µg/mL for GF-17 and 75 µg/mL for FK-16. These AMPs showed no synergistic effects with antibiotics and no resistance development. FK-16 and GF-17 effectively removed biofilms, particularly against S. epidermidis. Incorporating these AMPs into surgical materials (hydrogels, cements, etc.) could enhance infection control in orthopedic procedures, warranting further in vivo studies.

  • Revolutionizing orthopedic healthcare: a systematic review unveiling recombinant antimicrobial peptides
    Vincenzo Pennone, Elena Rosini, Elena Mascheroni, Silvia Gianola, Greta Castellini, Silvia Bargeri, and Arianna B. Lovati
    Frontiers Media SA
    The increasing demand for orthopedic surgeries, including joint replacements, is driven by an aging population and improved diagnosis of joint conditions. Orthopedic surgeries carry a risk of infection, especially in patients with comorbidities. The rise of antibiotic resistance exacerbates this issue, necessitating alternatives like in vitro bioengineered antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), offering broad-spectrum activity and multiple action mechanisms. This review aimed to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial potential and the yield after purification among recombinant AMP families. The antimicrobial potential was evaluated using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values against the most common bacteria involved in clinical infections. This systematic review adhered to PRISMA guidelines, focusing on in vitro studies of recombinant AMPs. The search strategy was run on PubMed, Scopus and Embase up to 30th March 2023. The Population, Exposure and Outcome model was used to extract the data from studies and ToxRTool for the risk of bias analysis. This review included studies providing peptide production yield data and MIC values against pathogenic bacteria. Non-English texts, reviews, conference abstracts, books, studies focusing solely on chemical synthesis, those reporting incomplete data sets, using non-standard MIC assessment methods, or presenting MIC values as ranges rather than precise concentrations, were excluded. From 370 publications, 34 studies on AMPs were analyzed. These covered 46 AMPs across 18 families, with Defensins and Hepcidins being most common. Yields varied from 0.5 to 2,700 mg/L. AMPs were tested against 23 bacterial genera, with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to >1,152 μg/mL. Arenicins showed the highest antimicrobial activity, particularly against common orthopedic infection pathogens. However, AMP production yields varied and some AMPs demonstrated limited effectiveness against certain bacterial strains. This systematic review emphasizes the critical role of bioengineered AMPs to cope infections and antibiotic resistance. It meticulously evaluates recombinant AMPs, focusing on their antimicrobial efficacy and production yields. The review highlights that, despite the variability in AMP yields and effectiveness, Arenicins and Defensins are promising candidates for future research and clinical applications in treating antibiotic-resistant orthopedic infections. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of AMPs in healthcare, underscoring their potential in addressing the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.Systematic review registration:https://osf.io/2uq4c/.

  • Association between the Presence of Resistance Genes and Sanitiser Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Recovered from Different Food-Processing Facilities
    Yue Cheng, Zeinabossadat Ebrahimzadeh Mousavi, Vincenzo Pennone, Daniel Hurley, and Francis Butler
    MDPI AG
    Sanitisers are widely used in cleaning food-processing facilities, but their continued use may cause an increased resistance of pathogenic bacteria. Several genes have been attributed to the increased sanitiser resistance ability of L. monocytogenes. This study determined the presence of sanitiser resistance genes in Irish-sourced L. monocytogenes isolates and explored the association with phenotypic sanitiser resistance. The presence of three genes associated with sanitiser resistance and a three-gene cassette (mdrL, qacH, emrE, bcrABC) were determined in 150 L. monocytogenes isolates collected from Irish food-processing facilities. A total of 23 isolates contained bcrABC, 42 isolates contained qacH, one isolate contained emrE, and all isolates contained mdrL. Additionally, 47 isolates were selected and grouped according to the number and type of resistance genes, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these isolates for benzalkonium chloride (BAC) was determined experimentally using the broth microdilution method. The BAC resistance of the strain carrying the bcrABC gene cassette was significantly higher than that of strains lacking the gene cassette, and the BAC resistance of the strain carrying the qacH gene was significantly higher than that of strains lacking the qacH gene (p < 0.05). Isolates harbouring both the qacH and bcrABC genes did not show higher BAC resistance. With respect to environmental factors, there was no significant difference in MIC values for isolates recovered from different processing facilities. In summary, this investigation highlights the prevalence of specific sanitiser resistance genes in L. monocytogenes isolates from Irish food-processing settings. While certain genes correlated with increased resistance to benzalkonium chloride, the combination of multiple genes did not necessarily amplify this resistance.

  • Diversity of the Microbiota of Traditional Izmir Tulum and Izmir Brined Tulum Cheeses and Selection of Potential Probiotics
    Ziba Güley, Vincenzo Fallico, Raul Cabrera-Rubio, Daniel O’Sullivan, Mariarosaria Marotta, Vincenzo Pennone, Sandra Smith, and Tom Beresford
    MDPI AG
    High-throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) was used to study the microbial diversity of commercial traditional Izmir Tulum (IT) and Izmir Brined Tulum (IBT) cheeses from Izmir, Türkiye. Simultaneously, cultivation-dependent methods were used to isolate, identify and characterize bacterial strains displaying probiotic potential. At the phylum level, Firmicutes dominated the microbiota of both cheese types comprising >98% of the population. Thirty genera were observed, with Streptococcus being the most abundant genus and with Streptococcus thermophilus and S. infantarius subsp. infantarius being the most abundant species. Genera, including Bifidobacterium and Chryseobacterium, not previously associated with IT and IBT, were detected. IT cheeses displayed higher operational taxonomic units (OTUs; Richness) and diversity index (Simpson) than IBT cheeses; however, the difference between the diversity of the microbiota of IT and IBT cheese samples was not significant. Three Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains isolated from IBT cheeses exhibited probiotic characteristics, which included capacity to survive under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions, resistance to bile salts and potential to adhere to HT-29 human intestinal cells. These findings demonstrate that Tulum cheeses harbor bacterial genera not previously reported in this cheese and that some strains display probiotic characteristics.

  • Association of Virulence, Biofilm, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes with Specific Clonal Complex Types of Listeria monocytogenes
    Peter Myintzaw, Vincenzo Pennone, Olivia McAuliffe, Máire Begley, and Michael Callanan
    MDPI AG
    Precise classification of foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is a necessity in efficient foodborne disease surveillance, outbreak detection, and source tracking throughout the food chain. In this study, a total of 150 L. monocytogenes isolates from various food products, food processing environments, and clinical sources were investigated for variations in virulence, biofilm formation, and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes based on their Whole-Genome Sequences. Clonal complex (CC) determination based on Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) revealed twenty-eight CC-types including eight isolates representing novel CC-types. The eight isolates comprising the novel CC-types share the majority of the known (cold and acid) stress tolerance genes and are all genetic lineage II, serogroup 1/2a-3a. Pan-genome-wide association analysis by Scoary using Fisher’s exact test identified eleven genes specifically associated with clinical isolates. Screening for the presence of antimicrobial and virulence genes using the ABRicate tool uncovered variations in the presence of Listeria Pathogenicity Islands (LIPIs) and other known virulence genes. Specifically, the distributions of actA, ecbA, inlF, inlJ, lapB, LIPI-3, and vip genes across isolates were found to be significantly CC-dependent while the presence of ami, inlF, inlJ, and LIPI-3 was associated with clinical isolates specifically. In addition, Roary-derived phylogenetic grouping based on Antimicrobial-Resistant Genes (AMRs) revealed that the thiol transferase (FosX) gene was present in all lineage I isolates, and the presence of the lincomycin resistance ABC-F-type ribosomal protection protein (lmo0919_fam) was also genetic-lineage-dependent. More importantly, the genes found to be specific to CC-type were consistent when a validation analysis was performed with fully assembled, high-quality complete L. monocytogenes genome sequences (n = 247) extracted from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) microbial genomes database. This work highlights the usefulness of MLST-based CC typing using the Whole-Genome Sequence as a tool in classifying isolates.

  • Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates
    Peter Myintzaw, Vincenzo Pennone, Olivia McAuliffe, Máire Begley, and Michael Callanan
    MDPI AG
    The aim of this study was to investigate the level of strain variability amongst food and clinical Listeria monocytogenes isolates growing at low temperatures (4 and 7 °C) in both laboratory media and real food matrices. Isolates (n = 150) grown in laboratory media demonstrated a large variation in growth profiles measured using optical density. Overall, it was noted that clinical isolates exhibited a significantly higher growth rate (p ≤ 0.05) at 7 °C than the other isolates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests of isolates grouped using Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) revealed that clonal complex 18 (CC18) isolates were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) faster growing at 4 °C than other CC-type isolates while CC101, CC18, CC8, CC37 and CC14 were faster growing than other CC types at 7 °C. Euclidean distance and Ward method-based hierarchical clustering of mean growth rates classified 33.33% of isolates as faster growing. Fast and slow growing representative isolates were selected from the cluster analysis and growth rates were determined using plate count data in laboratory media and model food matrices. In agreement with the optical density experiments, CC18 isolates were faster and CC121 isolates were slower than other CC types in laboratory media, UHT milk and fish pie. The same trend was observed in chocolate milk but the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, pan-genome analysis (Scoary) of isolate genome sequences only identified six genes of unknown function associated with increased cold tolerance while failing to identify any known cold tolerance genes. Overall, an association that was consistent in laboratory media and real food matrices was demonstrated between isolate CC type and increased cold tolerance.

  • Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Analysis of Publicly Available Staphylococcus aureus Genomes
    Vincenzo Pennone, Miguel Prieto, Avelino Álvarez-Ordóñez, and José F. Cobo-Diaz
    MDPI AG
    Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen that can cause severe illness and express resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. It is part of the ESKAPE organisms and it has been included by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of USA in the list of serious threats to humans. Many antimicrobial mechanisms have been identified, and, in particular, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) can be determined by whole genome sequencing. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) can determine the spread of these ARGs between strains and species and can be identified with bioinformatic analyses. The scope of this work was to analyse publicly available genomes of S. aureus to characterise the occurrence of ARGs present in chromosomes and plasmids in relation to their geographical distribution, isolation sources, clonal complexes, and changes over time. The results showed that from a total of 29,679 S. aureus genomes, 24,765 chromosomes containing 73 different ARGs, and 21,006 plasmidic contigs containing 47 different ARGs were identified. The most abundant ARG in chromosomes was mecA (84%), while blaZ was the most abundant in plasmidic contigs (30%), although it was also abundant in chromosomes (42%). A total of 13 clonal complexes were assigned and differences in ARGs and CC distribution were highlighted among continents. Temporal changes during the past 20 years (from 2001 to 2020) showed that, in plasmids, MRSA and macrolide resistance occurrence decreased, while the occurrence of ARGs associated with aminoglycosides resistance increased. Despite the lack of metadata information in around half of the genomes analysed, the results obtained enable an in-depth analysis of the distribution of ARGs and MGEs throughout different categories to be undertaken through the design and implementation of a relatively simple pipeline, which can be also applied in future works with other pathogens, for surveillance and screening purposes.

  • Correlation of organic acid tolerance and genotypic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes food and clinical isolates
    Peter Myintzaw, Vincenzo Pennone, Olivia McAuliffe, Máire Begley, and Michael Callanan
    Elsevier BV

  • Integration of genomics in surveillance and risk assessment for outbreak investigation
    Vincenzo Pennone, José Francisco Cobo‐Díaz, Miguel Prieto‐Maradona, and Avelino Álvarez‐Ordóñez
    Wiley
    Abstract Keeping food safe is a challenge that needs continuous surveillance for the sake of consumers’ health. The main issue when a food‐borne pathogen outbreak occurs is represented by the identification of the source(s) of contamination. Delivering this information in a timely manner helps to control the problem, with positive outcomes for everyone, especially for the consumers, whose health is in this way preserved, and for the stakeholders involved in food production and distribution, who could face enormous economic losses if recalls or legal issues occur. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a tool recently implemented for the characterisation of isolates and the study of outbreaks because of its higher efficiency and faster results, when compared to traditional typing methods. Lower sequencing costs and the development of many bioinformatic tools helped its spread, and much more attention has been given to its use for outbreak investigation. It is important to reach a certain level of standardisation, though, for ensuring result reproducibility and interoperability. Moreover, nowadays it is possible, if not mandatory for Open Science Practices, to share WGS data in publicly available databases, where raw reads, assembled genomes and their corresponding metadata can be easily found and downloaded. The scope of this Fellowship was to provide the Fellow all the training necessary for successfully integrating genomics to surveillance and risk assessment of food‐borne pathogens from farm to fork.

  • Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Phage Lytic Enzymes Displayed on Tailored Bionanoparticles
    Edel Stone, Vincenzo Pennone, Kerri Reilly, Irene R. Grant, Katrina Campbell, Eric Altermann, and Olivia McAuliffe
    MDPI AG
    The high mortality rate associated with Listeria monocytogenes and its ability to adapt to the harsh conditions employed in food processing has ensured that this pathogen remains a serious problem in the ready-to-eat food sector. Bacteriophage-derived enzymes can be applied as biocontrol agents to target specific foodborne pathogens. We investigated the ability of a listeriophage endolysin and derivatives thereof, fused to polyhydroxyalkanoate bionanoparticles (PHA_BNPs), to lyse and inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes. Turbidity reduction assays confirmed the lysis of L. monocytogenes cells at 37 °C upon addition of the tailored BNPs. The application of BNPs also resulted in the growth inhibition of L. monocytogenes. BNPs displaying only the amidase domain of the phage endolysin were more effective at inhibiting growth under laboratory conditions (37 °C, 3 × 107 CFU/mL) than BNPs displaying the full-length endolysin (89% vs. 83% inhibition). Under conditions that better represent those found in food processing environments (22 °C, 1 × 103 CFU/mL), BNPs displaying the full-length endolysin demonstrated a greater inhibitory effect compared to BNPs displaying only the amidase domain (61% vs. 54% inhibition). Our results demonstrate proof-of-concept that tailored BNPs displaying recombinant listeriophage enzymes are active inhibitors of L. monocytogenes.

  • Application of genomics and metagenomics to improve food safety based on an enhanced characterisation of antimicrobial resistance
    Vincenzo Pennone, José F Cobo-Díaz, Miguel Prieto, and Avelino Alvarez-Ordóñez
    Elsevier BV

  • Omnibus modeling of listeria monocytogenes growth rates at low temperatures
    Vincenzo Pennone, Ursula Gonzales Barron, Kevin Hunt, Vasco Cadavez, Olivia McAuliffe, and Francis Butler
    MDPI AG
    Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen of considerable public health importance with a high case fatality. L. monocytogenes can grow at refrigeration temperatures and is of particular concern for ready-to-eat foods that require refrigeration. There is substantial interest in conducting and modeling shelf-life studies on L. monocytogenes, especially relating to storage temperature. Growth model parameters are generally estimated from constant-temperature growth experiments. Traditionally, first-order and second-order modeling (or primary and secondary) of growth data has been done sequentially. However, omnibus modeling, using a mixed-effects nonlinear regression approach, can model a full dataset covering all experimental conditions in one step. This study compared omnibus modeling to conventional sequential first-order/second-order modeling of growth data for five strains of L. monocytogenes. The omnibus model coupled a Huang primary model for growth with secondary models for growth rate and lag phase duration. First-order modeling indicated there were small significant differences in growth rate depending on the strain at all temperatures. Omnibus modeling indicated smaller differences. Overall, there was broad agreement between the estimates of growth rate obtained by the first-order and omnibus modeling. Through an appropriate choice of fixed and random effects incorporated in the omnibus model, potential errors in a dataset from one environmental condition can be identified and explored.

  • Evaluation of lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from fructose-rich environments for their mannitol-production and milk-gelation abilities
    Pradip V. Behare, Shahneela Mazhar, Vincenzo Pennone, and Olivia McAuliffe
    American Dairy Science Association
    Mannitol is a sugar alcohol, or polyol, widely used in the food industry because of its low-calorie properties. Industrial production of mannitol is difficult and expensive. However, certain bacterial species are known to produce mannitol naturally, including certain lactic acid bacteria and fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In this study, bacterial strains isolated from fructose-rich sources, including flowers, leaves, and honey, were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analysis as Leuconostoc, Fructobacillus, Lactococcus, and Lactobacillus species and 4 non-LAB species. DNA profiles generated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis discriminated 32 strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and 6 Fructobacillus strains. Out of 41 LAB strains isolated, 32 were shown to harbor the mdh gene, which encodes the mannitol dehydrogenase enzyme, and several showed remarkable fructose tolerance even at 50% fructose concentrations, indicating their fructophilic nature. Several of the strains isolated, including Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains DPC 7232 and DPC 7261, Fructobacillus fructosus DPC 7237, and Fructobacillus fructosus DPC 7238, produced higher mannitol concentrations (P < 0.01) than did the positive control strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 20016 during an enzymatic screening assay. Mannitol concentrations were also examined via HPLC in 1% fructose de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe medium (FMRS) or 1% fructose milk (FM). Among the strains, Fructobacillus fructosus DPC 7238 displayed high fructose utilization (9.27 g/L), high mannitol yield (0.99 g of mannitol/g of fructose), and greatest volumetric productivities (0.46 g/L per h) in FMRS. However, Leuconostoc mesenteroides DPC 7261 demonstrated the highest fructose utilization (8.99 g/L), mannitol yield (0.72 g of mannitol/g of fructose), and volumetric productivities (0.04 g/L per h) in FM. Storage modulus G' (>0.1 Pa) indicated a shorter gelation time for Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 20016 (8.73 h), followed by F. fructosus DPC 7238 (11.57 h) and L. mesenteroides DPC 7261 (14.52 h). Our results show that fructose-rich niches can be considered important sources of fructophilic LAB strains, with the potential to be used as starter cultures or adjunct cultures for the manufacture of mannitol-enriched fermented dairy products and beverages.

  • Effectiveness of current hygiene practices on minimization of Listeria monocytogenes in different mushroom production-related environments
    Vincenzo Pennone, Kenneth Lyonel Dygico, Aidan Coffey, Cormac G.M. Gahan, Helen Grogan, Olivia McAuliffe, Catherine M. Burgess, and Kieran Jordan
    Wiley
    Abstract Background The commercial production of Agaricus bisporus is a three stage process: 1) production of compost, also called “substrate”; 2) production of casing soil; and 3) production of the mushrooms. Hygiene practices are undertaken at each stage: pasteurization of the substrate, hygiene practices applied during the production of casing soil, postharvest steam cookout, and disinfection at the mushroom production facilities. However, despite these measures, foodborne pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, are reported in the mushroom production environment. In this work, the presence of L. monocytogenes was evaluated before and after the application of hygiene practices at each stage of mushroom production with swabs, samples of substrate, casing, and spent mushroom growing substrates. Results L. monocytogenes was not detected in any casing or substrate sample by enumeration according to BS EN ISO 11290‐2:1998. Analysis of the substrate showed that L. monocytogenes was absent in 10 Phase II samples following pasteurization, but was then present in 40% of 10 Phase III samples. At the casing production facility, 31% of 59 samples were positive. Hygiene improvements were applied, and after four sampling occasions, 22% of 37 samples were positive, but no statistically significant difference was observed (p > .05). At mushroom production facilities, the steam cookout process inactivated L. monocytogenes in the spent growth substrate, but 13% of 15 floor swabs at Company 1 and 19% of 16 floor swabs at Company 2, taken after disinfection, were positive. Conclusion These results showed the possibility of L. monocytogenes recontamination of Phase III substrate, cross‐contamination at the casing production stage and possible survival after postharvest hygiene practices at the mushroom growing facilities. This information will support the development of targeted measures to minimize L. monocytogenes in the mushroom industry.

  • Prevalence, virulence characterization, and genetic relatedness of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from chicken retail points and poultry slaughterhouses in Turkey
    Aysen Coban, Vincenzo Pennone, Mert Sudagidan, Celenk Molva, Kieran Jordan, and Ali Aydin
    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

  • Inhibition of l. Monocytogenes biofilm formation by the amidase domain of the phage vb_lmos_293 endolysin
    Pennone, Sanz-Gaitero, O’Connor, Coffey, Jordan, van Raaij, and McAuliffe
    MDPI AG
    Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacterium that is a major concern for food business operators because of its pathogenicity and ability to form biofilms in food production environments. Bacteriophages (phages) have been evaluated as biocontrol agents for L. monocytogenes in a number of studies and, indeed, certain phages have been approved for use as anti-listerial agents in food processing environments (ListShield and PhageGuard Listex). Endolysins are proteins produced by phages in the host cell. They cleave the peptidoglycan cell wall, thus allowing release of progeny phage into the environment. In this study, the amidase domain of the phage vB_LmoS_293 endolysin (293-amidase) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia. coli (E. coli). Muralytic activity at different concentrations, pH and temperature values, lytic spectrum and activity against biofilms was determined for the purified 293-amidase protein. The results showed activity on autoclaved cells at three different temperatures (20 °C, 37 °C and 50 °C), with a wider specificity (L. monocytogenes 473 and 3099, a serotype 4b and serogroup 1/2b-3b-7, respectively) compared to the phage itself, which targets only L. monocytogenes serotypes 4b and 4e. The protein also inhibits biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. These results show the potential of using recombinant antimicrobial proteins against pathogens in the food production environment.

  • Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from Agaricus bisporus mushroom production
    V. Pennone, A. Lehardy, A. Coffey, O. Mcauliffe, and K. Jordan
    Oxford University Press (OUP)
    The aims of this study were to characterize the genetic diversity of Listeria monocytogenes isolates obtained from commercial mushroom production, to establish the persistence, recontamination and the risk of cross‐contamination from the working environment to the final products, creating awareness about the presence of L. monocytogenes thus helping to prevent the possibility of cross‐contamination.

  • Listeria monocytogenes in the Food Processing Environment
    Kieran Jordan, Karen Hunt, Antonio Lourenco, and Vincenzo Pennone
    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

  • Prevalence and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in premises and products of small food business operators in Northern Ireland
    Robert H. Madden, Mike Hutchison, Kieran Jordan, Vincenzo Pennone, Ozan Gundogdu, and Nicolae Corcionivoschi
    Elsevier BV

  • Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms by bacteriocin-producing bacteria isolated from mushroom substrate
    A.S. Bolocan, V. Pennone, P.M. O'Connor, A. Coffey, A.I. Nicolau, O. McAuliffe, and K. Jordan
    Oxford University Press (OUP)
    This study was designed to investigate the ability of naturally occurring bacteria isolated from mushroom substrate to prevent biofilm formation by Listeria monocytogenes or to remove existing biofilms in mushroom production facilities.

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Antimicrobial Properties and Cytotoxicity of LL-37-Derived Synthetic Peptides to Treat Orthopedic Infections
    V Pennone, E Angelini, D Sarlah, AB Lovati
    Antibiotics 13 (8), 764 2024

  • Exploiting different strategies for the recombinant production of antimicrobial peptides
    E Mascheroni, V Pennone, AB Lovati, E Rosini
    FEBS OPEN BIO 14, 224-224 2024

  • Revolutionizing orthopedic healthcare: A systematic review unveiling recombinant antimicrobial peptides
    V Pennone, E Rosini, E Mascheroni, S Gianola, G Castellini, S Bargeri, ...
    Frontiers in Microbiology 15, 1370826 2024

  • Gut MicrobiotAware: how much do we know about gut microbiota? An international questionnaire.
    E Garcia-Gutierrez, S Arbulu, C Oliver, S Kumar, SA Dam, B Jakobi, ...
    bioRxiv, 2024.12. 04.626811 2024

  • Association between the Presence of Resistance Genes and Sanitiser Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Recovered from Different Food-Processing
    Y Cheng, ZE Mousavi, V Pennone, D Hurley, F Butler
    Microorganisms 11 (12), 2989 2023

  • Diversity of the microbiota of traditional Izmir Tulum and Izmir brined Tulum cheeses and selection of potential probiotics
    Z Gley, V Fallico, R Cabrera-Rubio, D O’Sullivan, M Marotta, V Pennone, ...
    Foods 12 (18), 3482 2023

  • Association of Virulence, Biofilm, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes with Specific Clonal Complex Types of Listeria monocytogenes
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Microorganisms 11 (6), 1603 2023

  • Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Isolates.
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
     2022

  • Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Microorganisms 11 (1), 65 2022

  • Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Analysis of Publicly Available Staphylococcus aureus Genomes
    V Pennone, M Prieto, A lvarez-Ordez, JF Cobo-Diaz
    Antibiotics 11 (11), 1632 2022

  • Correlation of organic acid tolerance and genotypic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes food and clinical isolates
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Food Microbiology 104, 104004 2022

  • Integration of genomics in surveillance and risk assessment for outbreak investigation
    V Pennone, JF Cobo‐Daz, M Prieto‐Maradona, A lvarez‐Ordez
    EFSA Journal 20, e200417 2022

  • Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Phage Lytic Enzymes Displayed on Tailored Bionanoparticles
    E Stone, V Pennone, K Reilly, IR Grant, K Campbell, E Altermann, ...
    Foods 11 (6), 854 2022

  • Application of genomics and metagenomics to improve food safety based on an enhanced characterisation of antimicrobial resistance
    V Pennone, JF Cobo-Daz, M Prieto, A Alvarez-Ordez
    Current Opinion in Food Science 43, 183-188 2022

  • Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 65
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
     2022

  • THE INVESTIGATION OF SANITIZER RESISTANCE GENES IN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT FOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES
    Y Cheng, ZE Mousavi, V Pennone, F Butler
    Biosystems and Food Engineering Research Review 27, 26 2022

  • Omnibus Modeling of Listeria monocytogenes Growth Rates at Low Temperatures
    V Pennone, UG Barron, K Hunt, V Cadavez, O McAuliffe, F Butler
    Foods 10 (5), 1099 2021

  • Omnibus Modeling of Listeria monocytogenes Growth Rates at Low Temperatures. Foods 2021, 10, 1099
    V Pennone, U Gonzales-Barron, K Hunt, V Cadavez, O McAuliffe, F Butler
    s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published 2021

  • Omnibus Modeling of Growth Rates at Low Temperatures.
    V Pennone, U Gonzales-Barron, K Hunt, V Cadavez, O McAuliffe, F Butler
     2021

  • Evaluation of lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from fructose-rich environments for their mannitol-production and milk-gelation abilities
    PV Behare, S Mazhar, V Pennone, O McAuliffe
    Journal of Dairy Science 103 (12), 11138-11151 2020

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Listeria monocytogenes in the Food Processing Environment
    K Jordan, K Hunt, A Lourenco, V Pennone
    Current Clinical Microbiology Reports 2018
    Citations: 65

  • Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms by bacteriocin‐producing bacteria isolated from mushroom substrate
    AS Bolocan, V Pennone, PM O'Connor, A Coffey, AI Nicolau, O McAuliffe, ...
    Journal of applied microbiology 122 (1), 279-293 2017
    Citations: 61

  • Inhibition of L. monocytogenes Biofilm Formation by the Amidase Domain of the Phage vB_LmoS_293 Endolysin
    V Pennone, M Sanz-Gaitero, P O’Connor, A Coffey, K Jordan, ...
    Viruses 11 (8), 722 2019
    Citations: 37

  • Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from Agaricus bisporus mushroom production
    V Pennone, A Lehardy, A Coffey, O Mcauliffe, K Jordan
    Journal of applied microbiology 125 (2), 586-595 2018
    Citations: 34

  • Prevalence and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in premises and products of small food business operators in Northern Ireland
    NC Robert H. Madden, Mike Hutchison, Kieran Jordan, Vincenzo Pennone, Ozan ...
    Food Control 87, 70-78 2018
    Citations: 23

  • Evaluation of lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from fructose-rich environments for their mannitol-production and milk-gelation abilities
    PV Behare, S Mazhar, V Pennone, O McAuliffe
    Journal of Dairy Science 103 (12), 11138-11151 2020
    Citations: 22

  • Prevalence, virulence characterization, and genetic relatedness of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from chicken retail points and poultry slaughterhouses in Turkey
    A Coban, V Pennone, M Sudagidan, C Molva, K Jordan, A Aydin
    Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 50, 1063-1073 2019
    Citations: 22

  • Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Analysis of Publicly Available Staphylococcus aureus Genomes
    V Pennone, M Prieto, A lvarez-Ordez, JF Cobo-Diaz
    Antibiotics 11 (11), 1632 2022
    Citations: 15

  • Application of genomics and metagenomics to improve food safety based on an enhanced characterisation of antimicrobial resistance
    V Pennone, JF Cobo-Daz, M Prieto, A Alvarez-Ordez
    Current Opinion in Food Science 43, 183-188 2022
    Citations: 15

  • Correlation of organic acid tolerance and genotypic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes food and clinical isolates
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Food Microbiology 104, 104004 2022
    Citations: 14

  • Association of Virulence, Biofilm, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes with Specific Clonal Complex Types of Listeria monocytogenes
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Microorganisms 11 (6), 1603 2023
    Citations: 11

  • Omnibus Modeling of Listeria monocytogenes Growth Rates at Low Temperatures
    V Pennone, UG Barron, K Hunt, V Cadavez, O McAuliffe, F Butler
    Foods 10 (5), 1099 2021
    Citations: 11

  • Effectiveness of current hygiene practices on minimization of Listeria monocytogenes in different mushroom production‐related environments
    V Pennone, KL Dygico, A Coffey, CGM Gahan, H Grogan, O McAuliffe, ...
    Food Science & Nutrition 8 (7), 3456-3468 2020
    Citations: 9

  • Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Phage Lytic Enzymes Displayed on Tailored Bionanoparticles
    E Stone, V Pennone, K Reilly, IR Grant, K Campbell, E Altermann, ...
    Foods 11 (6), 854 2022
    Citations: 6

  • Listeria monocytogenes in the food processing environment. Curr Clin Microbiol Rep 5: 106–119
    K Jordan, K Hunt, A Lourenco, V Pennone
     2018
    Citations: 5

  • Revolutionizing orthopedic healthcare: A systematic review unveiling recombinant antimicrobial peptides
    V Pennone, E Rosini, E Mascheroni, S Gianola, G Castellini, S Bargeri, ...
    Frontiers in Microbiology 15, 1370826 2024
    Citations: 3

  • Association between the Presence of Resistance Genes and Sanitiser Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates Recovered from Different Food-Processing
    Y Cheng, ZE Mousavi, V Pennone, D Hurley, F Butler
    Microorganisms 11 (12), 2989 2023
    Citations: 3

  • Diversity of the microbiota of traditional Izmir Tulum and Izmir brined Tulum cheeses and selection of potential probiotics
    Z Gley, V Fallico, R Cabrera-Rubio, D O’Sullivan, M Marotta, V Pennone, ...
    Foods 12 (18), 3482 2023
    Citations: 3

  • Variability in Cold Tolerance of Food and Clinical Listeria monocytogenes Isolates
    P Myintzaw, V Pennone, O McAuliffe, M Begley, M Callanan
    Microorganisms 11 (1), 65 2022
    Citations: 3

  • Integration of genomics in surveillance and risk assessment for outbreak investigation
    V Pennone, JF Cobo‐Daz, M Prieto‐Maradona, A lvarez‐Ordez
    EFSA Journal 20, e200417 2022
    Citations: 2