Michael Cotta is the Research Leader of the Bioenergy Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Illinois, USA.

Mike obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from the University of California at Davis in 1977 and 1979, respectively, where he worked under the direction of R.L. Baldwin. Upon completion of these studies he continued his education at the University of Illinois where he worked in the laboratories of R.B. Hespell and M.P. Bryant. He earned a Ph.D. in Dairy Science from the University of Illinois in 1984. Mike joined the USDA, Agricultural Research Service at the Northern Regional Research Center, Peoria, Illinois, as a Research Microbiologist in October 1984 and became Research Leader of the Fermentation Biotechnology Research Unit in 2000, his current position. The Fermentation Biotechnology Unit was recently renamed the Bioenergy Research Unit to reflect the unit’s concentration on research to develop renewable fuels.

The Bioenergy Research Unit is a leader in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) efforts to develop economical and environmentally sound technologies for production of biobased fuels and chemicals from agricultural commodities, residues, and processing wastes. The Bioenergy Unit conducts a broad-based program of microbial, biochemical, genetic, and engineering research that has led to the discovery and development of novel microbial biocatalysts, enzymes, products and processes. The unit’s research builds on a long history of fermentation at the Center exemplified by the development of processes for production of penicillin, xanthan, riboflavin and other microbial products.

Mike’s personal research interests include the microbial ecology of gastrointestinal and other anaerobic environments, microbial bioconversion of complex polysaccharides, and the potential for commercial exploitation of anaerobic microorganisms. He is the author or co-author of over 140 scientific journal articles, book chapters, proceedings, and patents. In addition to his position with USDA, he holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Department of Animal Science, The Ohio State University; and the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois.