Renato Orsi

Renato Orsi is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). His work focuses on genomics-driven approaches to study foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella, with an emphasis on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for source tracking, evolutionary analysis, and food safety interventions. He also contributes to training programs in bioinformatics for industry and academic researchers.

Education:

• B.S. in General Biology, University of Campinas (2000)
• M.S. in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Campinas (2003)
• Ph.D. in Microbiology, Cornell University (2007)

Research Interests:

• Evolutionary genomics of foodborne pathogens
• WGS applications for pathogen surveillance and source tracking
• Microbial adaptation in food processing environments
• Development of bioinformatics tools for pathogen analysis

Key Contributions:

• Analysis of Listeria and Salmonella persistence in dairy and agricultural settings
• Characterization of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors in pathogens
• Collaboration with the CDC's Integrated Food Safety Centers of Excellence for epidemiological training

Labs/Teams: Active in Cornell's Food Science research groups, focusing on genomic and bioinformatics approaches to food safety challenges.