Since 1974, Platts-Mills has been active in research on allergic disease and has published more than 350 papers.
His research includes the first purification and publication of a dust miteallergen in 1978, the development of immunoassays for dust mite allergens, and the establishment that it is mite fecal particles which are inhaled.[5] Platts-Mills has researched the immune response to a range of allergens including those from pollens, dust mites, the fungus Trichophyton, and domestic cats.