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Suresh Pillai
- Professor and Associate Department Head
- Office:
- Kleberg Room 418B
- Email:
- s-pillai@tamu.edu
- Undergraduate Education
- B.Sc. Botany, University of Madras, India.
- Graduate Education
- M.Sc. Industrial Microbiology, University of Madras, India.
- Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arizona, Tucson
- Awards
- 2018 Honorary Doctorate, Universidad Nacional del Altiplano-Peru
- 2017 TED talk at TEDx-TAMU -Are microbes responsible for criminal behavior?
- 2014-2018 Member, FDA Science Advisory Board. National Center for Toxicology Research
- Courses Taught
- Food Science
- Food Safety & Quality
- Molecular Detection and Characterization of Microbial Pathogens
- Electron Beam (eBeam) Food Processing for Enhancing Food Quality, Safety, Shelf-life, and Phytosanitary Treatment
Area of Expertise
Harnessing electron beam (eBeam) technology and molecular microbiology to heal, clean, feed, and shape this world and beyond
Research Focus
- Fate and transport of microorganisms and microbial populations in natural and man-made ecosystems
- Detection and decontamination of microbial pathogens in natural and managed ecosystems; understanding microbial responses to inactivating agents by harnessing a suite of omic technologies
- Harnessing high energy electron beam (eBeam) technology for food quality, safety, shelf-life and phytosanitary treatment
- Harnessing eBeam technology for development of novel vaccines and therapeutics
- Harnessing eBeam technology for environmental remediation to improve public health, environmental quality and food safety and quality
- identifying links between the human microbiome and criminal behavior and microbial fate and transport in natural and managed environments
Student and Staff Support
Howie, Kendall PhD khowie1@tamu.edu
Kowald,Corinne Elise MS corinnekowald@tamu.edu
McCoy, James MS mccoy@tamu.edu
McNicholas, Rachel Elizabeth MS rachelmcnicholas@tamu.edu
John Sullivan – MS Food Science & Technology jpsullivan1118@tamu.edu
Mingbao Feng – Post Doctoral Research Scientist mfeng@tamu.edu
Sohini Bhatia – Ph.D. – Poultry Science -sohinibhatia@email.tamu.edu
Alexandra Folcik – Ph.D. – Toxicology afolcik@cvm.tamu.edu
Electron Beam Facility
Mickey Speakmon – Facilities Manager m-speakmon@tamu.edu
Sara Parsons- QA/Dosimetry Manager snp@tamu.edu
Amit Chaudhuri – Senior Accelerator Specialist. Amit.chaudhuri@tamu.edu
Johnie Karns- Student Research Assistant
Heidi Scarborough – Student Assistant
Cameron Williams – Student Assistant
NASA/Wylie Space Food Processing Facility
Mickey Speakmon – Facilities Manager
Alexandria Rodriquez – Student Assistant
Amber Molina – Student Assistant
Bethany Gawalis – Student Assistant
Kendall Hough – Student Technician II
Leah Little – Student Technician II
Priscilla Tubbs – Student Technician
Tolu Ojo – Student Research Assistant
Ongoing Research
- eBeam technology for the remediation of PFAS chemicals in the environment
- Comparing the response of the medical device polymers to eBeam, X-ray and gamma irradiation technologies
- Harnessing complementary technologies to eBeam processing for phytosanitary treatment of citrus fruits
- Identifying links between the human microbiome and aggressive /criminal behavior