Weiß

Prof. Weiß serves as a Professor at the Institute of Food Chemistry within the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences (MIN-Faculty) at the University of Hamburg. He leads the active Food Microbiology working group focused on microbial interactions with food systems to enhance safety and prevent spoilage through cutting-edge research methodologies.

His research program centers on three critical domains: inactivation mechanisms of bacterial pathogens and spoilage organisms in food (especially fruit juices) using thermal and non-thermal processing techniques; investigation of crop plants as secondary reservoirs for human pathogens and plant-derived foods as transmission vectors; and application of multi-omics approaches for precision characterization of fermentation microbiota and development of specialized starter cultures. This work directly addresses emerging challenges in food safety and preservation.

The working group actively supervises bachelor's and master's theses across multiple degree programs including B.Sc./M.Sc. Food Chemistry, Nutrition and Household Sciences (for teacher training), and M.Sc. Cosmetic Science. Laboratory operations include advanced microscopy capabilities, evidenced by unpublished scanning electron micrographs of pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes colonizing plant tissues, supporting their experimental research on food-microbe interfaces.