Dr. Tony Vaughn Johnston
Professor

Departments / Programs
Degree Information
- MPH, University of Florida (2014)
- PHD, University of Arkansas (1995)
- MS, University of Arkansas (1986)
- BS, University of Arkansas (1980)
Areas of Expertise
Fermentation Science, Food Processing, Food Safety, Food Quality, Food Microbiology, Grape Production, Wine Production, Wine Appreciation, Food and Wine Marketing, International Studies, Public Health
Biography
B.S. Geophysics, University of Arkansas, 1980
M.S. Food Science, University of Arkansas, 1986
Ph.D. Food Science (Enology and Viticulture), University of Arkansas, 1995
MPH, Epidemiology, University of Florida, 2014
6 years food industry experience with Tyson Foods, Inc, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, and Sara Lee Corporation, Quality Control Manager and Technical Services Manager
6 years experience as owner and/or winemaker at Tennessee wineries (Sumner Crest Winery and Monteagle Winery)
Publications
Papers:
Johnston, T.V. and J. R. Morris, 1996. Separation of Anthocyanin Pigments in Wine by Low Pressure Column Chromatography. J. Food Sci. 61:109-111.
Johnston, T.V. and J. R. Morris, 1996. Circular Dichroism and Spectroscopic Studies of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Red Wine Liquid Chromatographic Fractions. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 47: 323-328.
Johnston, T.V. and J.R. Morris, 199...
Read More »Papers:
Johnston, T.V. and J. R. Morris, 1996. Separation of Anthocyanin Pigments in Wine by Low Pressure Column Chromatography. J. Food Sci. 61:109-111.
Johnston, T.V. and J. R. Morris, 1996. Circular Dichroism and Spectroscopic Studies of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Red Wine Liquid Chromatographic Fractions. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 47: 323-328.
Johnston, T.V. and J.R. Morris, 1997. HPLC Analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon and Noble Wine Pigment Fractions. J. Food Sci. 62: 684 - 687.
Mooney, M., T.V. Johnston, and J. Beckett, 1997. Digestibility of Ensiled Grape Pomace in Ruminants. J. TN Acad. Sci.
Parks, K.D., Anderson, W.L., Bailey, F.C., Johnston, T.V., and DiVincenzo, J.P., 2002. Copper and Zinc Levels at a Middle Tennessee State University Vineyard Site. J. Tn Acad Sci. 77(3):64-67.
Kearney, M. K. and T. V. Johnston, 2004. Allergenicity to Milk and Milk’s Link to Crohn’s Disease. Scientia. 8(2).
Conklin, M. and T. V. Johnston, 2004. Practicality of Whey Protein-Added Foods. Scientia. 8(2).
Kelly, B., Phillips, N., and Johnston, T. 2008. Effects of Increased Auxin Concentrations on Hardwood Rooting of the Native Grape Cultivar: ‘Cynthiana / Norton’. HortScience 43(4): 1180-1181.
Aimee Wilson, Matthew Fuller, Shannon Smith, Tony Johnston, John DuBois. 2016. A Protocol for EndophyteFree Callus Tissue of the Grape Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/Cynthiana. Agricultural Sciences 7, 680-692, http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/as.2016.710064.
Amanda L. Uhls, Nolan Jolley, Tony V. Johnston, John D. DuBois. 2018. The Effect of Sample Date and Timing of Cuttings for Maximum Propagation Efficiency of the Grape, Vitis aestivalis “Norton/Cynthiana”. Food and Nutrition Sciences 9 (3), 268 – 276, 10.4236/fns.2018.93021.
Min Jeong Kim, Seockmo Ku, Sun Young Kim, Hyun Ha Lee, Hui Jin, Sini Kang, Rui Li, Tony V. Johnston, Myeong Soo Park, and Geun Eog Ji. 2018. Safety Evaluations of Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 and Bifidobacterium longum BORI. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 19, 1422; doi:10.3390/ijms19051422.
Hyung Jin Ahn, Hyun Ju You, Myung Su Park, Tony V. Johnston, Seockmo Ku, and Geun Eog Ji. Biocatalysis of Platycoside E and Platycodin D3 Using Fungal Extracellular Glucosidase Responsible for Rapid Platycodin D Production. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 2671; doi:10.3390/ijms19092671.
Weihong Jin, Cheolho Yoon, Tony V. Johnston, Seockmo Ku, and Geun Eog Ji. Production of Selenomethionine-Enriched Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 via Sodium Selenite Biocatalysis. Molecules 2018, 23, 11 doi:10.3390/molecules23112860.
Jeong Min Lee, So Young Oh, Tony V. Johnston, Seockmo Ku, and Geun Eog Ji. 2019. Biocatalysis of Fucodian in Undaria pinnatifida Sporophyll Using Bifidobacterium longum RD47 for Production of Prebiotic Fucosylated Oligosaccharide. Marine Drugs 17, 117; doi:10.3390/md17020117.
Hui Jin, Yunju Jeong, Sang Ho Yoo, Tony V. Johnston, Seockmo Ku and Geun Eog Ji. 2019. Isolation and characterization of high exopolysaccharide producing Weissella confusa VP30 from young children’s feces. Microb Cell Fact 18:110; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-019-1158-1.
Seockmo Ku, Suyoung Yang, Hyun Ha Leeb, Deokyeong Choe, Tony V. Johnston, Geun Eog Ji, Myeong SooPark. 2019. Biosafety assessment of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis AD011 used for human consumption as a probiotic microorganism. Food Control; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.106985.
Deokyeong Choe, Hyun Ho Jung, Daehwan Kim, Chul Soo Shin, Tony Johnston, and Seockmo Ku. 2020. In Vivo Evaluation of the Anti-Obesity Effects of Combinations of Monascus Pigment Derivatives. Royal Society of Chemistry Advances 10:1456. DOI: 10.1039/c9ra08036h.
Hyung Jin Ahn, Hyun Ju You, Myung Su Park, Zhipeng Li, Deokyeong Choe, Tony Vaughn Johnston, Seockmo Ku and Geun Eog Ji. 2020. Microbial biocatalysis of quercetin-3-glucoside and isorhamnetin-3-glucoside in Salicornia herbacea and their contribution to improved anti-inflammatory activity. Royal Society of Chemistry Advances, 2020, 10,5339-5350.
DOI: 10.1039/C9RA08059G.
Deokyeong Choe, Soo M. Song, Chul S.Shin, Tony V. Johnston, Hyung J. Ahn, Daehwan Kim, Seockmo Ku. 2020. Production and Characterization of Anti-Inflammatory Monascus Pigment Derivatives. Foods 9 (7), 858. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070858.
Sini Kang, Hyun Ju You, Yeong-Geun Lee, Yunju Jeong, Tony V. Johnston, Nam-In Baek, Seockmo Ku, and Geun Eog Ji. Production, structural characterization, and in vitro assessment of the prebiotic potential of butyl-fructooligosaccharides. International Journal of Molecular Science, 2020 Jan; 21(2): 445. doi: 10.3390/ijms21020445.
Deokyeong Choe, Heeyoung Jang, Hyun Ho Jung, Chul Soo Shin, Tony V. Johnston, Daehwan Kim, Seockmo Ku. In Vivo Anti-Obesity Effects of Monascus Pigment Threonine Derivative with Enhanced Hydrophilicity. Journal of Functional Foods, 2020, Apr; V67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2020.103849.
Deokyeong Choe, Soo Min Song, Chul Soo Shin, Tony V. Johnston, Hyung Jin Ahn, Daehwan Kim, and Seockmo Ku. Production and Characterization of Anti-Inflammatory Monascus Pigment Derivatives. Foods 2020, 9(7), 858; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070858.
Sini Kang, Tony V. Johnston, Seockmo Ku, Geun Eog Ji. Acute and sub-chronic (28-day) oral toxicity profiles of newly synthesized prebiotic butyl-fructooligosaccharide in ICR mouse and Wistar rat models. Toxicology Research 2020 9(4): 484-492.
Nayoun Hong, Seockmo Ku, Kyungjin Yuk, Tony V. Johnston, Geun Eog Ji, and Myeong Soo Park. Production of biologically active human interleukin-10 by Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4. Microb Cell Fact 20, 16 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-020-01505-y.
Soyon Mann, Myeong Soo Park, Tony V. Johnston, Yeun Eog Ji, Keum Taek Hwang, Seockmo Ku. Oral Probiotic Activities and Biosafety of Lactobacillus gasseri HHuMIN D. Microb Cell Fact (2021) 20:75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-021-01563-w.
Soyon Mann, Myeong Soo Park, Tony V. Johnston, Geun Eog Ji, Keum Taek Hwang, Seockmo Ku. Isolation, Characterization and Biosafety Evaluation of Lactobacillus fermentum OK with Potential Oral Probiotic Properties. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-021-09761-z.
Textbooks:
Wine Appreciation: Understand and Enjoy, 2015, Great River Publishing, ISBN 978-1-61549-987-8
Agricultural Engineering, 2015, Great River Publishing, ISBN 978-1-68075-084-3
Presentations
“Anthocyanin Polymerization Studies in Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Red Wines”, oral paper, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists/Southern Regional Sections of IFT Annual Meeting, Greensboro, NC, January, 1996.
“HPLC Analysis of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Wine Pigment Liquid Chromatographic Fractions”, poster session, ...
Read More »“Anthocyanin Polymerization Studies in Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Red Wines”, oral paper, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists/Southern Regional Sections of IFT Annual Meeting, Greensboro, NC, January, 1996.
“HPLC Analysis of Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Vitis rotundifolia cv. Noble Wine Pigment Liquid Chromatographic Fractions”, poster session, 4th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology, Rochester, NY, July, 1996.
“Analysis of Red Wine Pigment Polymers by Low Pressure Liquid Chromatography”, poster session, 4th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology, Rochester, NY, July, 1996.
“Status of Viticultural and Enological Research at MTSU”, oral presentation, Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting, Chattanooga, TN, January, 1997.
“Trends in Wine Marketing”, oral presentation, Kentucky Vineyards Society, October, 1997.
“Wine Analysis”, section instructor, 1998 Heartland Grape and Wine Coalition Wine School, Purdue University, January, 1998.
“Wine Marketing in Tennessee”, oral presentation, Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting, Oak Ridge, TN, January, 1998.
“Viticulture in Tennessee”, oral presentation, Tennessee Vocational Education Conference, Murfreesboro, TN, August, 1998.
“Starting a New Vineyard”, oral presentation, Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting, Clarksville, TN, January 1999.
“Grape Production Considerations: Yield vs. Quality”, oral presentation, Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting, Clarksville, TN, January 2000.
“Site Assessment for a Vineyard: An Undergraduate Class Field Project”, poster presentation, American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science of America/Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, November, 2000.
“Does Institutional Loyalty Hypothesis Really Work? The Case of MTSU Students and Employees’ Preference Toward MTSU-Produced Milk”, oral presentation, Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, February, 2005.
“Managing Acids in Wine”, oral presentation, Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, February, 2005.
“Does Institutional Loyalty Hypothesis Really Work? The Case of MTSU Students and Employees’ Preference Toward MTSU-Produced Milk”, oral presentation, Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, February, 2005.
“Rapid Methods of Detecting Flavonoids in Wine Using Raman & Infrared Spectroscopy”, poster presentation, American Chemical Society Annual Meeting, March, 2006.
“Common Home Winemaking Problems”, oral presentation to the Alabama Wine Society Annual Meeting, Montgomery, AL, June, 2007.
“Military Service for Democracy: Bringing the Message Home to Agriculture Students”, American Democracy Project National Convention, June, 2010.
“Agriculture in Tennessee”, Adventures in Learning Program, Murfreesboro, TN, September, 2013. “A Review of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus Invasive Disease Surveillance—Tennessee, 2005 – 2013, poster presentation, Tennessee Public Health Association 2014 Annual Meeting, Spetember, 2014.
“Starting a Home Vineyard”, Rutherford County Extension Office, Murfreesboro, TN, October, 2014. “Fermented Vegetables”, Rutherford County Extension Office, Murfreesboro, TN, October, 2014.
“Grapes in Honduras—A Research Update”, Tennessee Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Morristown, TN, November, 2014.
“Faculty Led Agricultural Study Abroad”, Tennessee Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Morristown, TN, November, 2014.
“Investigation into Timing of Cuttings for Maximum Propagation Efficiency of Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/Cynthiana’ Grapevines”, oral presentation, Tennessee Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Martin, TN, November, 2017.
“Identification of Fungal Endophytes in Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/Cynthiana’ grapes of Middle Tennessee”, poster presentation, MTSU Scholar’s Week, March, 2018.
“Fungal Endophytes of Vitis aestivalis variation Norton/Cynthiana Identified from Arkansas Overlap, but are Distinct from those Isolated from Tennessee and Missouri grapes”, poster presentation, MTSU Scholar’s Week, March, 2018.
“Investigation into Timing of Cuttings for Maximum Propagation Efficiency of Vitis aestivalis ‘Norton/Cynthiana’ Grapevines”, poster presentation, MTSU Scholar’s Week, March, 2018.
Awards
MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Faculty Achievement Award 1996
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 1998
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 1999
Recognized by graduating stu...
Read More »MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Faculty Achievement Award 1996
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 1998
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 1999
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 2000
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU Dec, 2000
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU Dec, 2001
MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Most Helpful Faculty Award 2004
MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award Nominee 2004
MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award Nominee 2005
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU Dec, 2005
MTSU Greek Life Faculty Mentor Award 2007
MTSU Outstanding Teacher Award Nominee 2008
MTSU Disabled Student Services Award for Outstanding Mentoring 2009
MTSU Disabled Student Services Award for Outstanding Mentoring 2011
MTSU Bob Womack Distinguished Faculty Award 2011
MTSU International Affairs Faculty of the Year Award 2012
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU Dec, 2013
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 2014
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU May, 2017
Recognized by graduating students for ”contributing to their success” at MTSU Dec, 2018
MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Faculty Service Award 2018
Research / Scholarly Activity
Ongoing research project on propagation efficiency of Vitis aestivalis grapes (common names Cynthiana or Norton). Recently discovered that this species of grape harbors an endophyte (mold) so future research will focus on a) identification and characterization of the endophyte, b) elaboration of the role the endophyte plays in propagation, vine vitality, fruit production/yield, and fruit quality, and c) production of endophyte-free plants to explore their potential commerc...
Read More »Ongoing research project on propagation efficiency of Vitis aestivalis grapes (common names Cynthiana or Norton). Recently discovered that this species of grape harbors an endophyte (mold) so future research will focus on a) identification and characterization of the endophyte, b) elaboration of the role the endophyte plays in propagation, vine vitality, fruit production/yield, and fruit quality, and c) production of endophyte-free plants to explore their potential commercial growth.
Ongoing research project to establish Vitis aestivalis and Vitis rotundifolia grapes for commercial production in central Honduras.
Projected new research project on identification/production/development of hop varieties that will grow well in Tennessee.
Special Projects
MTSU Alumni Association Special Projects Grant, Exploration of Sensory Perception Under Hypobaric and Low Oxygen Conditions. Co-PIs: Nate Callendar (Aerospace), Paul Craig (Aerospace), Andrea Georgiou (Aerospace), Seockmo Ku (Fermentation Science), and John Pennington (Psychology), August, 2018, $17,000.
Courses
Introduction to Agricultural Engineering
Introduction to Agribusiness
Microcomputer Applications in Agriculture
Food Science and Processing I and II
The Food Industry
Principals of Food Processing
Milk Processing and Marketing
Poultry Processing and Marketing
Food Quality Control
Food Safety
Fruit and Vegetable Marketing
Agri-Media Skills
Wine Appreciation
Wine Science and Marketing
International Agriculture
International Wine Industry
World Food and Society
Wine Tourism
Cross Cultural Perspectives in Leisure and Tourism
Introduction to Fermentation Science
Consumer Motivation and Sensory Evaluation of Fermented Foods