Education
B.S. (1990) University of Iowa
M.S. (1995) Clemson University
Ph.D. (2001) University of Minnesota
Research interests
The primary interest of our laboratory is the application of molecular biology and genomics techniques to the study of the ecology, physiology, and interactions between the yeasts and bacteria present in various environments relevant to fermentation and food safety. Current projects include using microarrays to study the impact of lactic acid bacteria and the quorum-sensing compounds they produce on Saccharomyces during fermentation, the development of rapid methods such as real-time PCR for the detection and enumeration of viable spoilage organisms in wine fermentations and understanding the microbial ecology of agricultural water (water used for irrigation, frost protection and mixing pesticides) and the impact of these organisms on the transmission of pathogens to fresh produce. |
