Rate My Professor Permal Deo

Dr Permal Deo is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine within the College of Sciences at Adelaide University. He holds a Master's degree from The University of Queensland, Australia, where his research focused on food mycotoxins, and a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast, UK, where he researched the role of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) on AGE-receptors, NF-kB, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Prior to joining the University of South Australia in 2010 after working at The University of the South Pacific, Fiji Islands, he advanced his career in molecular biology. He currently serves as a Visiting Scientist at CSIRO, focusing on the molecular mechanism linking diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Deo’s research specializations include food science, food chemistry, medical biochemistry focusing on proteins and peptides, nutraceuticals, functional foods, food processing, and food safety. His work examines AGE-induced receptors (RAGE) and activation of downstream signalling mechanisms including MAP kinase and NF-kB pathways, along with the impact of AGEs on cell cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and telomere dynamics. He investigates the role of natural products, particularly those with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities such as Australian medicinal and native food plants, in preventing or delaying chronic diseases. From a food safety perspective, his research covers antimicrobial properties of plant-based novel peptides, new sanitizers to reduce microbial contamination in seafood, minimally processed salads, and meat, as well as molecular analysis of food and environmental samples. He has received grants including Improving safety of vegetable produce through on‐farm sanitation using Electrolysed Oxidising (EO) Water from Hort Innovation (2017-2020). Key publications are Donnellan et al., An Investigation into the Differentiation of Lactyllysine and Carboxyethyllysine Peptide Modifications by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (2026, Journal of Proteome Research); Donnellan et al., Role of methylglyoxal protein modifications in DNA damage and chromosomal instability: Emerging molecular mechanisms (2025, Mutation Research Reviews in Mutation Research); Dhillon et al., Plasma micronutrient profile of prostate cancer cases is altered relative to healthy controls (2023, Cancers); Wong et al., Holothuria scabra Jaegar 1833 (Sandfish) extracts and collagens modulate protein-bound Nε-epsilon-carboxymethyllysine levels (2023, International Journal of Food Science and Technology); and Snelson et al., Processed foods drive intestinal barrier permeability and microvascular diseases (2021, Science Advances). Dr Deo teaches courses in biochemistry, food chemistry, food processing, and food microbiology.