John Gibbons

John Gibbons is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on microbial genomics, particularly the genomic and phenotypic impacts of domestication in beneficial food microbes (e.g., sake, meju, pulque) and the genetic basis of virulence in pathogens like Aspergillus fumigatus. He employs advanced DNA sequencing, computational genomics, and molecular biology to address these questions. His work bridges theoretical and applied components, aiming to improve food safety and understand microbial adaptation.

Research Interests:
• Domestication effects on microbial genomes and phenotypes
• Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenicity mechanisms
• Stress tolerance in foodborne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes
• Bioinformatics and population genomics approaches to study microbial diversity.

Advising & Labs:
• Leads the Gibbons Lab, which includes PhD and Master's students in Food Science and Microbiology.
• Advises students such as Tyler Bechtel (PhD), Adenike Adeyanju (PhD), and Joe Ciurleo (Master's).
• Collaborates on grants exploring microbial domestication and pathogen genomics.

Labs & Teams:
• Hosts the Microbial Genomics Lab in the Department of Food Science, focusing on evolutionary forces shaping microbial genomes.