Draft:Anthony (Tony) Nelson Sharpe

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Anthony Nelson Sharpe
Born	(1937-08-15)August 15, 1937 Birstall, Leicestershire, England
Alma mater	University of London
Known for	Stomacher, Pulsifier
Scientific career
Fields	Food safety, Microbiology
Institutions	Unilever, Health Canada

Anthony (Tony) Nelson Sharpe BSc, PhD, FRSC(UK), (born August 15, 1937) is a scientist and inventor recognized for his work in food and environmental microbiological analysis. His most notable inventions include the Colworth Stomacher™, Pulsifier™ sample processors, and ISO-GRID™ HGMF hydrophobic grid membrane filter.

Early Life and Education

Born on August 15, 1937, in Birstall, Leicestershire, England, Sharpe is the son of John Walter Sharpe, an engineer, and Annie Nelson. He attended Hillsboro Private (primary) School and Humphrey Perkins Grammar School in Barrow upon Soar. Sharpe then enrolled in Leicester Colleges of Art and Technology, earning a BSc from the University of London, and an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. His doctoral research, conducted at the University of London, focused on electric dipole measurements on substituted benzenes, pyridines, and pyridine-1-oxides.

Personal Life

Sharpe was married to Barbara Morris from 1959 to 1977, with whom he had two children, Caroline (born 1960), and Candida (born 1962). He later married Margaret Anne Jacqueline Gidney, remaining with her until her death in 2015.

Career and Inventions

Sharpe's career began at the Colworth House Research Laboratory of Unilever Ltd, where he worked from 1962 to 1973. Initially, his focus was on the physical chemistry of dental caries. Later, he transitioned to the Microbiology Division, developing several inventions aimed at improving methods in analytical food microbiology. From 1973 until his retirement in 1997, Sharpe worked at the Bureau of Microbial Hazards in the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada, furthering his innovations in the field. He holds nine patents in areas of microbiological and safety testing.

In 1994, Sharpe founded Filtaflex Ltd, a company dedicated to the development of various instruments such as the Pulsifier™ sample processor, FiltaTips, HGMF Spreadfilters, HGMF Replicators, HGMF Interpreters, and Wiperators.

Significant Inventions

Stomacher™ Laboratory Sample Processor

The Stomacher™ laboratory sample processor, developed in 1970 while working in Unilever’s Microbiology Division, is among Sharpe's most significant inventions. It is widely used in food microbiology laboratories around the world for sample suspension preparation. The Stomacher™ replaced conventional bladed or turret-type blenders, proving to be more efficient and less temperature-raising for the samples.

Pulsifier™

The Pulsifier™ is another notable invention by Sharpe, developed during his time at Filtaflex Ltd. This sample processor, in compliance with the ISO 7218:2007(E) standard, prepares suspensions of foods and feedstuffs and continues to be marketed worldwide.

Hydrophobic Grid Membrane Filter (ISO-GRID HGMF™)

The ISO-GRID HGMF™, a hydrophobic grid membrane filter invented by Sharpe, forms the basis of seven AOAC Official Actions. This filter was used in the food industry until 2021.

Other Inventions

Other inventions by Sharpe, some of which were not commercially marketed, include:

• Droplette: A foot-operated diluter/dispenser for a microbial counting technique.
• Droplette Viewer: A projection viewer for counting bacterial colonies in agar droplets.
• Colworth 2000: A machine capable of preparing labeled dishes with multiple decimal dilutions in different growth media.
• Bag-Weigh and Bag-Stand: Devices used for the storage and weighing of Stomacher plastic bags.
• AW-10: An ultra-accurate water activity meter.
• HGMF Spreadfilter: A funnel-less filtration device for HGMFs that is immediately reusable without need for sterilization.
• FiltaTips: Pipet-tip prefilters.
• HGMF Interpreter: A computerized microbial colony counter.
• HGMF Replicator: Allowed the copying of the distribution of bacterial colonies from a primary HGMF to fresh HGMFs.
• MagRetriever™: Capable of retrieving immunomagnetic particles from large suspensions.
• Wiperator: A device to improve the consistency of tests of pre-wetted hygienic towelette efficiencies.

Significant Publications

Articles

• Sharpe, A.N., Biggs, D.R., & Oliver, R.J. (1972). Machine for automatic pour plate preparation. Appl. Microbiol., 24: 70-76.
• Sharpe, A.N., & Jackson, A.K. (1972). Stomaching: a new concept in bacteriological sample preparation. Appl. Microbiol., 24: 175-178.
• Sharpe, A.N., & Michaud, G.L. (1974). Hydrophobic grid‑membrane filters: new approach to microbiological enumeration. Appl. Microbiol., 28: 223-235.
• Peterkin, P.I., & Sharpe, A.N. (1980). Membrane filtration of dairy products for microbiological analysis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 39: 1138-1143.
• Sharpe, A.N., Peterkin, P.I., & Dudas, I. (1986). Re‑usable filtration apparatus needs no sterilizing. Food Microbiol., 3: 243-246.
• Sharpe, A.N., Diotte, M.P., Peterkin, P.I., & Dudas, I. (1986). Towards the truly automated colony counter. Food Microbiol., 3: 247‑270.
• Todd, E.C.D., Szabo, R.A., Peterkin, P., Sharpe, A.N., Parrington, L., Bundle, D., Gidney, M.A.J., & Perry, M.B. (1988). Rapid hydrophobic grid membrane filter-enzyme labeled antibody procedure for identification and enumeration of Escherichia coli O157 in foods. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 54: 2536-2540.
• Sharpe, A.N., Diotte, M.P., Dudas, I., Parrington, L.J., & Peterkin, P.I. (1989). Technique for maintaining and screening many microbial cultures. Food Microbiol., 6: 261-265.
• Sharpe, A.N., Diotte, M.P., & Dudas, I. (1991). Water activity tester suited to compliance and high aw work. J. Food Prot., 54: 277-282.
• Sharpe, A.N., Bin Kingombe, C.I., Watney, P., Parrington, L.J., & Dudas, I. (1996). Efficient non-destructive sampler for carcasses and other surfaces. J. Food Prot., 59: 1-8.
• Fung, D.Y.C., Sharpe, A.N., Hart, B.C., & Liu, Y. (1998). The Pulsifier: a new instrument for preparing food suspensions for microbiological analysis. J. Rapid Meth. Autom. Microbiol., 6: 43-49.
• Wang, H., & Sharpe, A.N. (1998). An immuno-capturing and concentrating procedure for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and its detection by epifluorescence microscopy. Food Microbiol., 15: 559-563.

Books

Sharpe, Anthony Nelson (1978). Mechanizing Microbiology. Thomas, IL, USA.

Sharpe, Anthony Nelson (1980). Food Microbiology. A Framework for the Future. Thomas, IL, USA.

Sharpe, Anthony Nelson (1988). Membrane Filter Food Microbiology. Research Studies Press Ltd., Letchworth, UK.