Congratulations to Assistant Professor Edward Spang of Food Science and Technology, who is on the team that was awarded a $790,000 Seeding Solutions grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit established in the 2014 Farm Bill with bipartisan congressional support. The team is tasked with revolutionizing the food processing industry -- they will test new technology to improve the drying methods used in food production. Their method will use innovative moisture-absorbing technology instead of exclusively relying on heated air to dehydrate produce, such as grains, nuts, rice and seeds, for optimum storage and distribution. 

Dr. Spang's research focuses on characterizing and optimizing the efficiency of linked water, energy, and food resource systems. 

The UC Davis research team is headed up by Biological and Agricultural Engineering's CE Specialist Dr. Irwin Donis-Gonzalez and also includes Adjunct Professor Dr. Kurt Kornbluth of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Distinguished Professor Kent J. Bradford of Plant Sciences, as well as Johan Van Asbrouck, CEO of Rhino Research in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Read more about the grant on the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research website.