Research TopicsDepartment of Food Sciences
Ph.D. (1980) Rutgers University
Research Topics
Research Interests
Dr. Blaschek's research interests center around the genetic manipulation of the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) producing microorganism, Clostridium beijerinckii for biotechnology application in the fermentation industry. In addition to molecular based approaches, his laboratory has been involved in downstream bioprocessing and membrane-based recovery of ABE products. In the area of microbial food safety, his laboratory has focused on the development of genetic systems (i.e. transformation, shuttle vectors) as well as rapid detection systems for the foodborne pathogen, Clostridium perfringens. His lab is currently involved in a collaborative relationship with Chicago Department of Public Health and with other investigators at the U of I interested in microbial food safety.
Key Words Clostridia, biomass conversion, fermentation, food safety, microbiology
Current Research Funding
Illinois corn marketing board, CFAR, USDA
Competitive Grants Program