Michael J. Miller

One focus of Dr. Miller's research is on the functional genomics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB are extremely important in a wide number of beneficial roles including food fermentations (cheese, yogurt, salami, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, etc.), industrial starter cultures (organic acids, amino acids, proteins, etc.), delivery vehicles (vaccines or enzymes), and probiotics (live organisms which confer a health benefit when administered in adequate amounts). With the advent of functional genomics, the mechanisms of LAB function can be explored and then exploited. For example, a detailed understanding of probiotic functionality will enable the development of improved probiotics that can be used in the treatment of specific diseases. Dr. Miller's research on aflatoxin biosynthesis is focused on the regulation of the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. Aflatoxin is a potent hepatocarcinogen produced predominantly by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus that can contaminate several commodities including corn, cotton, peanuts and certain tree nuts. Aflatoxin biosynthesis is a complex process that requires several genes that all reside in an aflatoxin gene cluster. A thorough understanding of aflatoxin biosynthesis may lead to novel aflatoxin elimination strategies.

Courses recently taught:

FSHN 471 - Food and Industrial Microbiology

FSHN 573 - Advanced Food Microbiology