PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION 1. American Dairy Science Association. (ADSA) 2. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 3. Institute of Food Technologists. (IFT) 4. International Association of Food protection (IAFP) 5. American Chemical Society (ACS), Agricultural and Food Chemistry 6. Society for Industrial Microbiology (SIM) 7. The honor society of PHI KAPPA PHI, 8. Gamma Sigma Delta, The Honor Society of Agriculture. 9. Phi Tau Sigma, The Honor Society for Food Science. 10. Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

Dairy Processing and technology: In the area of dairy food processing, recent work in my laboratory has focused on: 1. Viability and stability of probiotic cultures in traditional and non-traditional food products; and 2. Impact of ingredients on quality of Greek yogurt. Dairy foods have served as the traditional vehicle of delivery for probiotic cultures; however, viability is still a major concern. To address this concern, our research group developed a new delivery system for probiotic cultures. Results obtained from this research could thus provide a new technology for producing dairy products with high viable probiotic cultures. We are also interested in the quality and consumer acceptability of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt becomes very popular dairy products. We are currently looking into the impact of different functional ingredients on the quality of Greek yogurt and acid whey production. Several gums and proteins not also positively alter the texture of Greek yogurt but also the viability of probiotics and reduce the quantity of acid whey which is now considered as environmental hazards. 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 mainly 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. 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. Our recent reviews (2) in Food Control (2010-2014) dealing with natural antimicrobials are considered as the most down loaded and most cited.