William Miller

Research Microbiologist

USDA, ARS, WRRC

Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit

WAB 200-D

800 Buchanan St.

Albany, CA 94710

Phone: (510) 559-5992

Fax: (510) 559-6162

E-mail: bmiller@pw.usda.gov

**EDUCATION**

B.S. Department of Biology

University of California, Los Angeles. June 1983.

Ph.D. Department of Microbiology

University of California, Los Angeles. December 1990.

Advisor: Dr. Robert W. Simons.

Thesis: \"The role of chromosomal context in the regulation of gene
expression in *Escherichia coli*\".

**PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE**

> 11/1998 - Present: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit,
> Agricultural Research Service, USDA. I have constructed several
> plasmid sets which utilize the GFP, YFP, CFP or DsRed fluorescent
> reporter proteins. In some of the plasmids, the reporter gene is fused
> to a strong constitutive promoter. These plasmids are maintained in
> the gastrointestinal pathogen *Campylobacter jejuni* and can be used
> as a fluorescent tag in that organism. I am also currently developing
> genetic tools for use in *C. jejuni* and will be cloning and
> characterizing various outer membrane proteins involved in virulence
> and attachment in that organism. Additionally, I have been involved in
> the sequencing, annotation and comparative genomics of three new
> *Campylobacter* strains/species (*C. jejuni* poultry isolate, *C.
> coli*, and *C. upsaliensis*), specifically, the characterization of
> approx. 100 type I restriction-modification loci, multiple integrative
> elements and prophage, several small cryptic plasmids and one *C.
> coli* megaplasmid.
>
> 7/1994 - 11/1998: Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Plant and
> Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley. P.I.: Steven
> Lindow. My research at Berkeley, centered on the construction of
> several environmental sensor plasmids. These plasmids will be used to
> detect the various nutrients available on plant surfaces and in the
> soil. Also, I constructed several molecular tools utilizing the gene
> encoding the green fluorescent protein. Additionally during the last
> two years. I have trained several undergraduates, graduate students
> and post-graduate researchers in multiple aspects of molecular
> biology.
>
> 2/1991 - 6/1994: Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Plant Pathology,
> University of California, Berkeley. P.I.: Nickolas Panopoulos. My
> project in this lab focused on the isolation and characterization of
> pathogenicity genes in the plant pathogen *Pseudomonas syringae pv.
> phaseolicola.*
>
> 1/1986 - 12/1989: Teaching fellow, Department of Microbiology,
> University of California, Los Angeles. Teaching fellow/student
> instructor for courses in Microbiology (Upper Division and
> Introductory), Microbial Genetics, Genetics, Molecular Biology and
> Medical Microbiology.
>
> 10/1983 - 12/1985: Teaching assistant, Department of Biology,
> University of California, Los Angeles. Teaching assistant for courses
> in Genetics and Introductory Biology

**AWARDS**

McKnight Postdoctoral fellowship 3/1991 through 8/1992.

**PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS**

**Publications:**

1\. Kumamoto, A.A., **Miller, W.G.**, and Gunsalus, R.P. \"*Escherichia
coli* tryptophan repressor binds multiple sites within the *aroH* and
*trp* operators\". [Genes and Development. 1:
556-564.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3315853&dopt=Abstract)
1987.

2\. **Miller, W.G.** and Simons, R.W. \"DNA from diverse sources
manifests cryptic low-level transcription in *Escherichia coli*\". [Mol.
Microbiol. 4(6):
881-893.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2170813&dopt=Abstract)
1990

3\. **Miller, W.G.** "The role of chromosomal context in the regulation
of gene expression in *Escherichia coli*." University of California, Los
Angeles. 252 pp. 1990. (Thesis).

4\. **Miller, W.**, Mindrinos, M.N., Rahme, L.G., Frederick, R.D.,
Grimm, C., Gressman, R., Kyriakides, X., Kokkinidis, M., and Panopoulos,
N.J. \"*Pseudomonas syringae* pv. *phaseolicola*-plant interactions:
host-pathogen signaling through cascade control of *hrp* gene
expression\", in Advances in Molecular Genetics of Plant-Microbe
Interactions. Vol. 2. E.W. Nester and D.P.S. Verma, eds. (Dordrecht, The
Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers), pp. 267-274. 1993.

5\. **Miller, W.G.**, and Simons, R.W. \"Chromosomal supercoiling in
*Escherichia coli*\". [Mol. Microbiol. 10(3):
675-684](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7968544&dopt=Abstract).
1993.

6\. **Miller, W.G.**, and Lindow, S.E. "An improved GFP cloning cassette
designed for prokaryotic transcriptional fusions". [Gene 191:
149-153.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9218713&dopt=Abstract)
1997.

7\. Jaeger, C.H., Lindow, S.E., **Miller, W.G.**, Clark, E., and
Firestone, M.K. "Mapping of sugar and amino acid availability in soil
around roots with bacterial sensors of sucrose and tryptophan." [Appl.
Environ. Microbiol. 65(6):
2685-2690.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10347061&dopt=Abstract)
1999.

8\. **Miller, W.G.**, Leveau, J.H.J., and Lindow, S.E. "Improved *gfp*
and *inaZ* broad-host-range promoter-probe vectors." [Mol. Plant-Microbe
Interact. 13(11):
1243-1250](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11059491&dopt=Abstract).
2000.

9\. **Miller, W.G.**, Bates, A.H., Horn, S.T., Brandl, M.T., Wachtel,
M.R., and Mandrell, R.E. "Detection on surfaces and in Caco-2 cells of
*Campylobacter jejuni* cells transformed with new *gfp*, *yfp*, and
*cfp* marker plasmids." [Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66(12):
5426-5436.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11097924&dopt=Abstract)
2000.

10\. **Miller, W.G.**, Brandl, M.T., Quiñones, B., and Lindow, S.E.
"Biological sensor for sucrose availability: relative sensitivities of
various reporter genes." [Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67(3):
1308-1317](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11229926&dopt=Abstract).
2001.

11\. Hallman, J., Quadt-Hallmann, A., **Miller, W.G.**, Sikora, R.A.,
and Lindow, S.E. "Endophytic colonization of plants by the biological
control agent *Rhizobium etli* G12 in relation to *Meloidogyne
incognita* infection". [Phytopathology 91(4):
415-422.](http://www.apsnet.org/phyto/+toc/2001/pap01tp.htm) 2001

12\. **Miller, W.G.** and Taneja, P. "Detection and quantification of
fluorescent bacterial colonies containing either the *gfp*, *yfp*, *cfp*
or *DsRed* reporter genes using the Alpha Innotech ChemiImager 5500."
("Hands On" Application Note #37).
<http://www.alphainnotech.com/hands/handsms> [.html]{.underline}.

13\. Eggers, C.H., Caimano, M.J., Clawson, M.L., **Miller, W.G.**,
Samuels, D.S., and Radolf, J.D. "Identification of loci critical for
replication and compatibility of a *Borrelia burgdorferi* cp32 plasmid
and use of a cp32-based shuttle vector for the expression of fluorescent
reporters in the Lyme disease spirochaete." [Mol. Microbiol. 43(2):
281-295.
2002](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&dopt=r&uid=11985709)

14\. Holden, P.A., LaMontagne, M.G., Bruce, A.K., **Miller, W.G.**, and
Lindow, S.E. "Assessing the role of *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*
surface-active gene expression to hexadecane biodegradation in sand."
[Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68(5): 2509-2518.
2002](http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/5/2509).

15\. Mandrell, R, Barak, J, Brandl, M, Charkowski, A, Cooley, M, Gorski,
L, **Miller, W**, Palumbo, J, and Wachtel, M. "Fitness of human enteric
pathogens in models of pre-harvest and post-harvest produce
contamination." 31^st^ United States-Japan Natural Resources (UJNR)
panel meeting. Monterey, CA. Dec. 2002. (Proceedings)

**Abstracts:**

> 1\. **Miller, W.G.** and Simons, R.W. \"Low level transcription in
> *Escherichia coli*\". Arrowhead Genetics Conference, Lake Arrowhead,
> CA. January, 1986.
>
> 2\. **Miller, W.G.** \"DNA from diverse sources manifests cryptic
> low-level transcription in *Escherichia coli*\". 90^th^ Annual Meeting
> of the American Society for Microbiology. Anaheim, CA. May 1990.
> Abstr. No. H-228.
>
> 3\. **Miller, W.**, Rahme, L.G., and Panopoulos, N.J. \"Novel genetic
> elements regulate the *in planta* induction of *hrpS* expression in
> *Pseudomonas syringae* pv. *phaseolicola*\". 6^th^ International
> Symposium on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. Seattle, WA. July
> 1992. Abstr. No. 191.
>
> 4\. **Miller, W.**, and Panopoulos, N.J. \"The role of tryptophan and
> methionine biosynthetic genes in the regulation of pathogenicity in
> *Pseudomonas syringae* pv. *phaseolicola* - plant interactions." 6^th^
> International Congress of Plant Pathology. Montreal, Canada. July 28 -
> August 6, 1993. Abstr. No. 12.2.30.
>
> 5\. **Miller, W.G.**, Bates, A.H., and Mandrell, R.E. "Construction of
> a set of GFP, YFP, and CFP promoter-probe vectors for use in
> *Campylobacter jejuni*." 10^th^ International workshop on
> *Campylobacter*, *Helicobacter* and Related Organisms. Baltimore, MD.
> Sept. 12-16 1999. Abstr. No. CF7.
>
> 6\. Mandrell, R.E., Harden, L., Horn, S.T., Haddon, W.F., and
> **Miller, W.G.** \"Analysis of *E. coli* environmental and diarrheal
> isolates by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry: identification of potential
> biomarker ions and a mutation in a gene encoding a biomarker ion."
> 100^th^ Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Los
> Angeles, CA. May 2000. Abstr. No. C-177.
>
> 7\. Hallman, J., Quadt-Hallman, A., **Miller, W.G.**, Lindow, S.E.,
> and Sikora, R.A. "Use of the green fluorescent protein to study the
> localization of antagonistic bacteria in nematode-infested plants."
> 25^th^ International Nematology Symposium. Herzliya, Israel. July
> 2000.
>
> 8\. Mandrell, R.E., Bates, A.H., Bautista, F., and **Miller W.G.**
> "Chickens co-inoculated with two different strains of fluorescent
> *Campylobacter jejuni* demonstrate differences in sites of
> colonization." 101^st^ Annual Meeting of the American Society for
> Microbiology. Orlando, FL. May 2001. Abstr. No. D-78.
>
> 9\. Mandrell, R., Barak, J., Brandl, M., Charkowski, A., Cooley, M.,
> Gorski, L., **Miller, W.**, and Wachtel, M. "Human pathogens on
> Produce: Attachment, Biofilms and Ecology." 88^th^ Annual Meeting of
> the International Association of Food Protection. Aug. 5-8, 2001.
> Minneapolis, MN
>
> 10\. **Miller, W.G.**, and Mandrell, R.E. "Characterization of
> multiple *Campylobacter jejuni* type I restriction-modification loci."
> 11^th^ International Workshop on *Campylobacter*, *Helicobacter* and
> Related Organisms. Freiburg, Germany Sept. 1-5, 2001. Abstract in
> International Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2001. v. 291(Suppl. 31)
> p. 79.
>
> 11.  Holden, P.A., LaMontagne, M.G., Bruce, A., **Miller, W.G.**,
> Hunt, J.R. and Lindow, S.E. "Rhamnolipid and PA Protein Regulatory
> Gene Transcription by *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* in Sand Culture and at
> Hydrophobic Interfaces." American Chemical Society regional meeting.
> Santa Barbara, CA. Oct. 2001.
>
> 12\. Fouts, D.E., Mandrell, R.E., Brinkac, L.M., **Miller, W.G.**,
> Parker, C.T., Shetty, J.U., Ayodeji, B.A., Shvartsbeyn, A., Lindsay,
> J.A., and Nelson, K.E. "Whole genome sequencing of a *Campylobacter
> jejuni* subsp. *jejuni* isolated from chicken and comparison to *C.
> jejuni* NCTC11168, *C. coli* and *C. upsaliensis* strains." 3^rd^
> Annual ASM & TIGR Conference on Microbial Genomes. New Orleans, LA.
> Jan. 2003.