Roger F McFeeters

Title: Roger F. McFeeters and His Work on Lactic Acid Bacteria

Introduction

Roger F. McFeeters is an inventor associated with Raleigh, North Carolina. His patent work addresses how lactic acid bacteria metabolize malic acid, a process relevant to fermented foods and beverages. The available information identifies 1 patent associated with him.

Latest Patents

McFeeters’s patent, “Lactic Acid Bacteria Which Do Not Decarboxylate Malic Acid,” describes a method for distinguishing bacteria that do and do not decarboxylate malic acid. The method involves growing bacteria in a suitable malic-acid-containing nutrient medium and monitoring its pH. A decrease in pH indicates bacteria that do not decarboxylate malic acid, while decarboxylation removes a proton and can cause the pH to remain stable or rise, depending on the amount of lactic acid produced.

The invention has potential applications in food fermentation. Using bacteria that do not decarboxylate malic acid can reduce carbon dioxide production and help limit bloating in fermented cucumber brine. Conversely, bacteria that do decarboxylate malic acid may be useful in fermenting fruit to improve certain high-acid wines. The patent also describes screening multiple bacterial strains on a single agar plate, including strains produced through purposeful mutation.

Career Highlights

The patent record connects McFeeters’s work with the United States of America, represented by the Secretary of Agriculture. His invention focuses on a practical way to identify bacterial traits that can influence fermentation outcomes.

Collaborations

Mark A. Daeschel and Henry P. Fleming are identified as McFeeters’s coworkers. Their association provides context for the research environment surrounding his work on lactic acid bacteria and fermentation.

Conclusion

Roger F. McFeeters’s patent presents a pH-monitoring method for identifying lactic acid bacteria according to their malic acid metabolism, with potential benefits for fermented cucumbers and wine production.