BFTV Cluster News

Lecturer – FST104L Food Microbiology Laboratory

The Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a lecturer positions to teach FST104L – Food Microbiology Laboratory during the Spring 2018 Quarter. See http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/ for course descriptions.

From Waste to Taste - The Transformative Power of Fermented Foods

Food Science and Technology

In this interview and video conducted for News-Medical.net at Pittcon Conference and Exposition 2024 in San Diego, FST Professor Maria Marco discusses her research on the health benefits, safety, and waste reduction potential of fermented foods, and the microbial processes involved in their production.

Read the full interview, and watch the video below.

World Food Safety Day, June 7, 2024

Food Science and Technology

Food Science and Technology's Cooperative Extension would like to wish you all a happy and safe World Food Safety Day today, June 7th. World Food Safety Day is an initiative that was started by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The motto for this year is "Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected".

Donpon (Dawn) Wannasin wins IFT's Caldwell Graduate Fellowship

Food Science and Technology

A huge congratulations to Donpon (Dawn) Wannasin on her being awarded the prestigious and competitive IFT Feeding Tomorrow Fund Dr. Elwood F. Caldwell Graduate Fellowship! Dawn, a first-year Ph.D. student in Selina Wang's lab, was awarded the $25,000 fellowship for her research which focuses on the extraction and characterization of phenolic compounds and other important bioactives in agricultural and food byproducts for potential food and supplement application to improve human and planetary health.

Yeast and Microbial Oils feature in Bon Appetit

Food Science and Technology

Research on yeast oil being done at UC Davis was mentioned in a May 15, 2024 article in Bon Appetit magazine about microbial cooking oils. Phaff Yeast Culture Collection curator Dr. Kyria Boundy-Mills was quoted several times in this article about the future of cooking oils made by fermentation of microbes, including yeasts. The article discusses the favorable properties of several commercially available microbial cooking oils, the improved carbon footprint relative to vegetable oils, and discusses challenges, especially the costs of production.

2024 Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award Recipients

Food Science and Technology

Graduate Studies and Graduate Council are thrilled to honor four extraordinary faculty members with the Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Awards. These awards shine a light on the power of mentorship in shaping the academic and professional journeys of UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Meet the 2024 Recipients

Bruce Hammock, Distinguished Professor
Department of Entomology and Nematology

Barile and Wang labs study health benefits of upcycled Chardonnay grapes

Food Science and Technology

In an April article from Food Ingredients First / Nutrition Insight, Dr. Daniela Barile explains her work on evaluating the bioactive compounds of Chardonnay grape marc (or pomace), which is a substantial waste product of the wine industry, making up around 30% of the grape’s weight. The Chardonnay grape marc is studied because of its health benefits in the gut microbiota and ability to suppress pathogens.

Selina Wang awarded the AOCS Timothy L. Mounts Award

Food Science and Technology

Congratulations to Dr. Selina Wang for winning the 2024 Timothy L. Mounts award, given by the American Oil Chemists Society Edible Applications Technology Division. The award recognizes research related to the science and technology of edible oils or derivatives in food products, which may be basic or applied in nature. This award commemorates Timothy Mounts as a distinguished scientist and leader who made numerous contributions to the science and technology of edible fats and oils.

Big Data Comes to Dinner

Food Science and Technology

Artificial intelligence is already changing how people work, communicate online, create art and manage businesses. Now the technology is being used in every aspect of our food systems.

Luxin Wang and jelly ice product mentioned in NYT story on plastic packaging

Food Science and Technology

In 2021, FST's Luxin Wang and a team of colleagues developed a reusable jelly ice product that was lighter than ice, didn't melt, and could be reused multiple times and then disposed of in green waste or trash. The invention was covered widely at the time. We're pleased to see the jelly ice get a recent mention in the story "So Much Produce Comes in Plastic.

Nitin part of UC Davis project selected by DOE for Industrial Decarbonization Initiative

Food Science and Technology

The U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, has selected a University of California, Davis, collaboration to receive $1.98 million in funding as one of 49 projects aimed at decarbonizing the industrial sector and moving the nation closer to a net-zero economy.

Product Development Team Finalists for 2023-2024

Food Science and Technology

Presenting our Product Development Team Finalists for 2023-2024! We're proud of them for making it to the final level, and we wish them well in their respective competitions. You can read about each competition below. Congratulations, teams!

Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein to Launch at UC Davis Jan. 17

Food Science and Technology

(Chris Simmons, Food Science and Technology Department Chair, is working with Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein Director David Block to make sure that FST faculty are well-positioned to engage ICAMP resources for cultivated meat research and production.

UC Davis Scholars Receive $225K for ‘Food Justice’ Seminar

Food Science and Technology

(This article by Maria Sestito, March 20, 2024 is cross-posted from Letters & Science Magazine, UC Davis College of Letters and Science.)

Greenwood and Parikh win prize in the 2024 Little Bang! Competition

Food Science and Technology

The idea to participate in the UC Davis Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition started from a very casual conversation between Brittany Greenwood and Shruti Parikh, grad students in Chris Simmons’ lab, which focuses on waste degradation and sustainable agricultural practices. With a shared background in microbiology and interest in biotechnology, there was no question that a partnership would produce something fruitful. Their “PlasticEaterPro” team was one of eight teams that won a prize of $1000 in the competition, held February 1, 2024.

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