Bio

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Phillip Brown, currently a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in the Biotechnology (BIT) Program, will join the Department of Biological Sciences as Teaching Assistant Professor, effective July 1, 2025, and be assigned to the BIT Program.

Dr. Brown completed his PhD in Microbiology at NC State in 2022 under the direction of Professor Sophia Kathariou. Prior to that, he worked at the US EPA from 2016-2017. Dr. Brown’s expertise is in microbial biology and biotechnology. In the BIT Program, he teaches a popular module on CRISPR, as well as other courses.

Area(s) of Expertise

Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis
Foodborne Pathogens
Antimicrobial Resistance
CRISPR-equipped bacteriophage

Publications

• A 3D-printed Sanger sequencing activity addresses student misconceptions , Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education (2025)
• Characterization of a novel putative lantibiotic biosynthesis genomic island in emerging clones of Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b , FEMS Microbiology Letters (2025)
• Large-scale phenotypic and genomic analysis of Listeria monocytogenes reveals diversity in the sensitivity to quaternary ammonium compounds but not to peracetic acid , Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2025)
• Listeria tempestatis sp. nov. and Listeria rocourtiae subsp. hofi subsp. nov. , INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY (2025)
• Draft genome sequences of Listeria monocytogenes strains from human listeriosis in Sweden harboring premature stop codons in the virulence determinant inlA , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2024)
• Draft genome sequences of two wide-host-range phages of Listeria monocytogenes from food processing environments in the United States , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2024)
• Draft Genome Sequences of 158 Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Black Bears (Ursus americanus) in the United States , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2023)
• Draft Genome Sequences of Closely Related Listeria monocytogenes Lineage III Strains Isolated from a Food Processing Environment and a Case of Human Listeriosis , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2023)
• Draft Genome Sequences of Heavy Metal-Resistant Listeria monocytogenes Strains of Sequence Type 14 (Clonal Complex 14) from Human Listeriosis Cases in Sweden , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2023)
• Draft genome sequences of a historical collection of Listeria monocytogenes from humans and other sources, 1926–1964 , Microbiology Resource Announcements (2023)