We report the successful fabrication and characterization of novel cobalt doped titanium dioxide nanofibers and their antibacterial property. The Co-doped TiO2 nanofibers were prepared by a facile electrospinning technique. The physicochemical characterization of the electrospun nanofibers was carried out by XRD, SEM-EDX and TEM. The antibacterial activity was tested against two common foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as Staplylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Salmonella typhimurium (Gram-negative). Bactericidal effects were determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method and TEM analysis respectively. Our results suggested that the Co-doped TiO2 nanofibers severely inhibit the growth of the selected strains. The results of TEM investigation demonstrated that exposure of bacteria to the Co-doped TiO2 nanofibers lead to disruption of cell membranes and respective membrane enzymes which caused bacteria to die eventually. The observed superior antimicrobial action of Co-doped TiO2 as compared to virgin TiO2 nanofibers is due to the synergistic impact of cobalt oxide and TiO2. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.