Mark Liles, PhD
SCC 248 and CASIC 277
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Short Bio
Originally from the South of the United States, Dr. Liles has had 36 different homes due to his father serving in the U.S. Air Force. His wife is Prof. Mary Sandage, who is a Professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at Auburn University. His son Max is an Auburn University student in the Architecture program. At Auburn University, Dr. Liles has made important contributions in the areas of microbiome research and disease control in agriculture and aquaculture. Among his honors and awards are NIH predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, 94 different grants received as Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI with over $17 million in total awarded funds in over 30 years as a microbiology researcher, recognition as Auburn University’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor (2009) and the College of Sciences and Mathematics Young Faculty Scholar Award (2017). He has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Liles holds six U.S. patents and eight foreign patents that have been licensed to multiple companies, and he has cofounded four biotech companies.
Education
BS Biology Tulane University 1991
PhD Microbiology Northwestern University 1998
Professional Experience
2021-present Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2016-present Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2021-present Cofounder and member of Board of Directors, Terra Bioforge Corporation, Middleton, WI
2016-present Cofounder and member of Board of Directors, Varizymes, Middleton, WI
2025-present Adjunct Faculty, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
2011-present Adjunct Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2010-present Adjunct Professor, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2010-2016 Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2005-2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
1998-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Mentors: Prof. Jo Handelsman and Prof. Robert Goodman
1992-1998 Graduate Fellow, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mentor: Prof. Nicholas Cianciotto
1989-1992 Laboratory technician, Sensory and Electrophysiology Research Unit, Touro Infirmary, New Orleans, LA
1987-1991 Undergraduate researcher, Department of Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Innovation
Plant microbiology: Enhancing the efficacy of plant probiotics and controlling disease in soybean, peanut and strawberries. A key objective is to improve how plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance plant growth and prevent disease. Our earlier studies with Prof. Joe Kloepper, now retired, led to the discovery that our best Bacillus PGPR strains can use pectin as a growth substrate. This led to research evaluating pectin-rich orange peel derivatives as a seed treatment together with PGPR, which was shown to increase soybean yield in a field trial by more than 9%. For disease control in plants, we use a genome- and metabolome-enabled strategy to identify PGPR strains that can prevent disease caused by fungal and oomycete plant pathogens. In collaboration with College of Agriculture faculty, we use plant growth chamber, greenhouse and field studies to develop better ways to control fungal diseases in soybean, peanut and strawberry.
Fish microbiology: Diagnostics, probiotics and vaccines for farmed fish. Our research group has spent the last 20 years developing ways to detect and prevent disease in farmed fish, including the pathogens Flavobacterium covae and Aeromonas hydrophila. In 2009, a massive disease epidemic caused by A. hydrophila occurred in farmed channel catfish in Alabama and has since caused the loss of more than 40 million pounds of farmed fish in the state. We have developed three pathogen diagnostic methods that have been used by industry and academic partners and have led an international group of researchers on a global survey of this virulent A. hydrophila in farmed fish species, discovering the pathogen in Vietnam and Cambodia. We have developed vaccines to prevent disease in fish caused by A. hydrophila and F. covae in partnership with Prof. Tim Bruce, AU SFAAS, and Dr. Miles Lange, USDA ARS, respectively. We have also identified a Bacillus velezensis probiotic that is effective in promoting fish health and preventing disease caused by multiple bacterial pathogens of concern in the aquaculture industry.
