LiVA and Quadram Institute Announce New Research Collaboration

LiVA Bio-Protection Technologies is pleased to announce a new research collaboration with the research group of Dr. Mark Webber at the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB), led by Dr. Eleftheria Trampari, to investigate the strawberry microbiome and its role in post-harvest spoilage.

LiVA Newsroom | 3 min read

Quadram Institute research scientist Dr. Eleftheria Trampari said: “Spoilage of food, including fresh fruit, is a massive global issue. We’ve got used to hearing about human microbiomes, but fruit also have microbiomes playing a crucial role in the rate of spoilage. Historically, this has been an under researched factor in food spoilage. I am very excited to partner with LiVA to unlock the secrets of the strawberry microbiome and its potential to extend shelf life and reduce waste.”

The 12-month research programme, running from October 2026 to September 2027, has a total project value of £100,000, including £50,000 in QIB funding.

The research will investigate what makes native strawberry microbiomes more protective against spoilage, how prebiotic interventions can influence these microbial communities, and whether targeted microbial communities can be developed to help delay spoilage. The study will use locally grown UK strawberries and will include the evaluation of LiVA’s prebiotic technology.

The collaboration will generate new scientific insights into the role of the native produce microbiome in shelf-life extension and support the development of sustainable approaches to reducing fresh produce spoilage and food waste.