Jae-Hyuk Yu

Dr. Jae-Hyuk Yu is a Professor in the Department of Bacteriology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on fungal biology, mycotoxin detoxification, and development of antimicrobial agents using food-grade fungi such as Aspergillus oryzae. He leads a lab investigating the molecular mechanisms of fungal sporulation and toxin production, with applications in food safety and biotechnology. Key projects include the creation of D-Tox™ and Natural Preservative™ (NP™), bioproducts that degrade aflatoxins and combat foodborne pathogens.

Education: B.S. Microbiology (Seoul National University, 1986); M.S. Food Science (UW-Madison, 1991); Ph.D. Genetics (UW-Madison, 1995); Postdoc at Texas A&M University. Affiliations include the Food Research Institute and editorial roles in Scientific Reports. His lab personnel include graduate student Xingrui Fan and honorary associates Kap-Hoon Han and Siraprapa Mahanil.

Research highlights include:

• Development of A. oryzae-based fermentates with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile.
• Mechanistic studies on aflatoxin degradation via lactone ring hydrolysis and non-enzymatic processes.
• Genomic analyses of Aspergillus sojae domestication and its loss of aflatoxin production.
• Functional characterization of regulators like VosA/VelB and transcription factors governing fungal development and secondary metabolism.

His work bridges basic fungal biology with applied solutions to global food contamination issues, supported by grants from industry partners and federal agencies.