Daniel J O Sullivan

Daniel O'Sullivan
Ph.D., Professor
[email protected]
+1 612 624 4188
262 FSCN / 220 Cargill Building

1334 Eckles Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
United States

Education

BS, Ph.D. Microbiology, University College Cork, Ireland

Areas of Interest

  • Genomics of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)
  • Engineering lactic acid bacteria to produce novel enzymes and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
  • Gut microbiome and specific health impacts
  • Novel fermented foods for strengthening immune functions

Biography

Dan O'Sullivan is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University College Cork, Ireland in 1990. He did postdoctoral research work at the National Food Biotechnology Center (Ireland) and at North Carolina State University before joining the faculty at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition in the University of Minnesota in 1994. He currently teaches three courses: 'Food Science Capstone', 'Molecular Biology for Applied Scientists' and 'Food Fermentations and Biotechnology'. His research focuses on molecular and genomic aspects of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, as well as the human gut microbiota.

Teaching

FSCN 2021 - Introductory Microbiology (Fall)
FSCN 4122/5122 - Food Fermentations & Biotechnology (Fall)
FSCN 4123/5123 - Molecular Biology for Applied Scientists (Fall)

Research

Bifidobacteria/LAB genomics; Production of novel AMPs; Probiotic characteristics of bifidobacteria and novel human gut microbes; Food fermentations and microbial activities.

Select Publications

Experts@Minnesota Research Profile

 

Yu, L., X. Liu and D.J. O’Sullivan. (2018) Use of Lactococcus lactis as a production system for peptides and enzymes encoded by a lantibiotic gene cluster from Bifidobacterium longum. Microbiology. 164:1481-1490 Dominguez, W., and D.J. O'Sullivan. (2012) ‘Development of an efficient and reproducible conjugative-based gene transfer system for bifidobacteria’. Microbiology 159:328-338 Palaria, A., I. Johnson-Kandy, and D.J. O’Sullivan. (2012) ‘Effect of a synbiotic yogurt on levels of fecal bifidobacteria, clostridia, and enterobacteria’. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78:933-940. Lee, J-H., and D.J. O’Sullivan. (2010) ‘Genomic insights into bifidobacteria’. Microbiol. Mol. Bio. Rev. 74:378-416 Lee, J-H., V.N. Karamychev, S.A. Kozyavkin, D. Mills, A.R. Pavlov, N.V. Pavlova, N.N. Polouchine, P.M. Richardson, V.V. Shakhova, A.I. Slesarev, B. Weimer, and D.J. O’Sullivan. (2008) Comparative genomic analysis of the gut bacterium Bifidobacterium longum reveals loci susceptible to deletion during pure culture growth. BMC Genomics 9:247-262