Principal Scientist at Niagara Bottling, United States
Dr. Sanjay Kumar is a Principal Scientist specializing in food safety and microbiology with over two decades of international research experience. He holds a Ph.D. from ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, India, with a strong foundation in microbial ecology and antimicrobial interventions. Dr. Kumar’s research centers on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens using novel, GRAS-status antimicrobials, quantitative microbiological risk assessment, and the microbiome of food animals.
Profile:
🎓 Education:
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Ph.D. in Microbiology, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, India (2010)
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M.S. in Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, India (2001)
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B.S. in Industrial Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, India (1998)
🔬 Research Interests:
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Control of foodborne pathogens using GRAS-status antimicrobials
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Microbial ecology and contamination in food processing systems
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Risk assessment through omics-based microbial exposure evaluation
💼 Professional Experience:
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Principal Scientist, Niagara Bottling LLC (2019–Present)
Leads microbiological R&D, food safety strategy, and regulatory compliance across 40+ plants.
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Staff Scientist, Poultry Science, University of Georgia (2015–2019)
Focused on microbiome, food safety interventions, and poultry gut health.
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Pennsylvania (2013–2015)
Investigated antimicrobial resistance and microbiome shifts in dairy cattle.
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (2012–2013)
Characterized rumen methanogens and enzymes for methane mitigation.
🧪 Notable Funded Projects (Co-PI):
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U.S. Soybean Board: Gut health in antibiotic-free broilers
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Innovation Enzymes: Enzyme supplementation and poultry performance
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Huvepharma: Probiotics against poultry pathogens
🏆 Awards and Honors:
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Best Poster Awards (CAES, Center for Food Safety, ASAS)
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ICAR Senior Research Fellowship
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DBT Travel Award (BioMicroWorld, Lisbon)
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Outstanding Teacher Award – Dolphin College, India
Citation Metrics:
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Total Citations: 3,680
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Citations Since 2020: 2,237
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h-index: 29 (26 since 2020)
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i10-index: 41 (30 since 2020)
Publication Top Notes:
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Chicken Gut Microbiota: Importance and Detection Technology
BOWKK Yue Shang, Sanjay Kumar
Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences, 2018
📚 Citations: 479
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Magnesium ammonium phosphate formation, recovery and its application as valuable resources: a review
YH Liu, S Kumar, JH Kwag, CS Ra
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2012
📚 Citations: 229
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Probiotics and atopic dermatitis: an overview
YHP IA Rather, VK Bajpai, S Kumar, J Lim, WK Paek
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2016
📚 Citations: 224
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New aspects and strategies for methane mitigation from ruminants
S Kumar et al.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2014
📚 Citations: 205
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Effect of antibiotic withdrawal in feed on chicken gut microbial dynamics…
HT S Kumar et al.
PLoS ONE, 2018
📚 Citations: 199
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Factors affecting rumen methanogens and methane mitigation strategies
S Kumar et al.
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2009
📚 Citations: 169
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Associative patterns among anaerobic fungi, methanogenic archaea and bacteria…
D Kumar, S., Indugu, N., Vecchiarelli, B., Pitta
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2015
📚 Citations: 168
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Temporal dynamics in the ruminal microbiome of dairy cows during the transition period
Pitta, Kumar, et al.
Journal of Animal Science, 2014
📚 Citations: 155
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Metagenomic assessment of the functional potential of the rumen microbiome…
Pitta, Kumar, et al.
Anaerobe, 2016
📚 Citations: 133
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Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella…
Velasquez, Macklin, Kumar, et al.
Poultry Science, 2018
📚 Citations: 118