Research Interest

Food Safety and Microbiology:  I have been interested in methods to control, prevent or eliminate pathogenic bacteria associated with food products.   I have been interested in developing a research program that centers in the contribution of microorganisms to the safety and quality of food. Research is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of non-thermal process such as ozone in combination with natural ingredients such as organic acids and antioxidants to improve the microbiological quality and reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens in fresh produce.My ultimate goal of my research program is to improve the quality, nutritional values and safety of food products. 

Food Bioprocess Technology:  I have been working with the Department of Bio-system Engineering on the use of bioreactor for the production of food grade products such as organic acids, antimicrobial compounds, amino acids and vitamins using lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

Food Fermentation and Biotechnology:I am manily interested in the impact of probiotic on human health.    I would like to use proteomic approach to understand the global changes in protein expression of bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. Our initial observation has shown that these cultures induce a number of proteins when exposed to different growth conditions that have major impact on their functionality as probiotics. This approach would help to better understand how probiotic cultures as functional foods could influence the gut health and eventually human health