PD Dr. Markus Schuppler
Lecturer in Food Microbiology at ETH Zurich

subject matter taught

Introduction of selected foodborne pathogens and toxin producing microorganisms with focus on relevant molecular biological aspects of their pathogenicity and virulence, as well as on their occurrence and survival in food.

Providing knowledge on the current status of research about the molecular basis of food­borne diseases caused by bacterial pathogens and the interaction of the microorganisms or the toxins they produce with the human hots, to foster the understanding about the relationship between specific types of food and the associated microbial risks. Another focus is on the currently available state-of-the-art methods and techniques, which can be applied for detection and differentiation (strain typing) of bacterial pathogens in food.

Personal Note

During my virtual assignment I provided a mixture of pre-recorded podcasts and live virtual sessions. While the virtual teaching provides clear advantages concerning the flexibility in preparation of lectures by the lecturers and the attendance of lectures by the students, the hurdle to create an interactive environment during such online lectures is dramatically increased. A major factor that contributes to this difficulty is the lack of live images from students during the lectures. Students tend to switch off their cameras due to the often weak signal strength of the available wireless network.