
Food safety is an important societal challenge in Europe and worldwide. Among the microbial hazards, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in food is a major concern given the high mortality rate in listeriosis cases, from 15 to 30%. For several years, EFSA has reported an upsurge of listeriosis cases. This phenomenon is worrying, especially since populations at high risk of listeriosis are increasing, particularly the elderly. Indeed, the aging of the European population is leading to an increase of the at-risk populations. Therefore, the objective of this application is to constitute a training network for young researchers. For the past four years, a first H2020 MSCA-ITN-ETN network has allowed us to initiate and consolidate scientific collaborations on the mapping of transcriptional modifications according to the environmental conditions to which bacteria are subjected. The presence of certain compounds in food promotes the expression of virulence factors, which increases the level of virulence of L. monocytogenes after ingestion of the contaminated food. A better risk assessment for the elderly population requires first to focus the research work on the composition of food matrices and the expression of the virulence of L. monocytogenes, and, in the other hand, to take into account the diversity of strains in relation to their habitat. Through the integration of new disciplines into the existing network, the objective of this MRSEI application is to establish the effective structure to integrate the health dimension into the research of food intake and the nutritional status of the elderly population. The establishment of a transdisciplinary network will provide Europe with a training structure adapted to the emergence of a new generation of researchers who can successfully participate in the control of health risks and the nutritional well-being of the elderly.