Quantitative methods to understand material transport, breakdown, and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract to improve food safety and quality, increase consumer health benefits, and optimize food processing operations.
Conversion of food and agricultural waste streams to value-added products using yeast, characterization of yeasts from the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, food fermentations
Development and application of environmentally friendly technologies to replace the incumbent technology for extracting and fractionating of major food components such as oil, protein, and carbohydrates.
Dr. Delarue’s research focuses on methods to measure sensory perception and preferences and on their effective use in food design. He seeks to develop high validity consumer-oriented methods. In particular, his research explores the role of context in hedonic measures using immersive environments and digital technologies. He also works to develop and validate rapid and flexible descriptive analysis methods with application to new product development and consumer research. Using these methods, he seeks to understand the sensory determinants of food preferences and to finds levers to drive healthy and sustainable food behaviors.
Dr. Dungan investigated the properties of amphiphilic molecules (i.e. surfactants, emulsifiers) in solution and at interfaces. Her research focused on the way that surfactant interfacial properties control the rate of migration of hydrophobic solutes such as lipids or flavors within food emulsions. The influence of proteins on the self-assembly of amphiphiles into nanostructures such as microemulsions and liquid crystals was also an active area of interest.
Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences
Food Science and Technology
Professor Glen Fox is the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor Malting & Brewing Science. He has interests in raw materials used in malting, brewing and other fermented beverages as well as defining the composition of these materials and their compositional effects on brewing efficiency.
Chemistry and nutritional biochemistry of lipids; the role of dietary fat on tissue and cell function; essential fatty acid metabolism and synthesis of bioactive metabolites; control of lipid oxidation.
Dr. Gravelle’s research focuses on characterizing the relationship between structural properties and functionality in foods using a materials science approach. To this end, his research activities focus on establishing a more fundamental understanding of how the composition and molecular architecture of multi-component foods impacts their mechanical and sensory response. Particular emphasis is given to characterizing fat-filled food gels, with a target of developing rational design principals that can be used to effectively implement new and emerging ingredients (such as plant-derived proteins).
Taste chemoreception in man; psychophysics of fats and oils; oral sensitivities and saliva; sensory evaluation methodology; sensory properties of alcoholic beverages; chemical senses and nutrition; sensory determinants of food acceptability; consumer research.
Professor; Chair of the Food Science Graduate Group
Food Science and Technology
Most-microbe interactions of lactic acid bacteria; functional genomics of probiotics in food matrices and mammalian gastrointestinal tracts; ecology of lactic acid bacteria on plants and fermented fruits and vegetables.
Molecular genetics and microbial ecology of lactic acid bacteria employed in food and beverage fermentations; characterization of mobile genetic elements in lactic acid bacteria; profiling of mixed culture fermentations using molecular techniques.
Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Micro and Nano-Encapsulation Technologies; Nanoscale Coatings and Material Design for Controlled Release; Nanoparticles for Improved Detection Technologies; Molecular Imaging and Spectroscopy for applications in Food Quality and Safety (e.g. Food-Microbe Interactions); Transport Processes.
Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Technology and former Professor of Cooperative Extension
Food Science and Technology
Dr. Rosenberg investigated the physico-chemical, functional and microencapsulating properties of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Using the basic and applicable information that is derived from this research, he developed platforms and devices (microcapsules, composite gels, emulsions, etc.) for effective delivery of nutrients and bio-active compounds in food and related applications. Dr. Rosenberg’s research developed a better understanding regarding the physico-chemical principals that govern milk processability, functionality of milk constituents and the evolution of quality attributes of cheese and other dairy products. Dr. Rosenberg’s research program addressed current challenges pertinent to Food Forensics. He investigated and developed new approaches and analytical methodologies that allow authentication of foods and agricultural products as well as their regional origin. Yet additionally, Dr. Rosenberg’s research developed applications for the concept of biorefineries in food processing as an effective means to address challenges pertaining to food security and waste generation in food processing.
Dr. Simmons' research focuses on improving energy and water use efficiency in food processing by reclaiming energy from waste biomass streams and developing strategies for waste water treatment and recycling. Specifically, high-throughput, massively parallel sequencing and bioinformatics approaches are used to characterize microbial communities that are able to deconstruct waste biomass into fermentable sugars under industrial conditions. These data are used to discover enzymes and molecular pathways that can improve industrial bioconversion of waste biomass into biofuels. Additionally, the microbial ecology of plant-soil systems exposed to food processing effluents is studied to develop strategies for recycling of food processing waste water to agriculture.
Dept. of Nutrition. Metabolomics; Measuring human health; Relationship between gut microbes and disease; Modulation of gut microbial metabolism; Measuring crop health.
As a Lactation Education Counselor, Dr. Smilowitz supports breastfeeding and researches dietary solutions that support the health of the mother-infant dyad. She regularly gives lectures on the benefits of breastfeeding and its impact on the infant gut microbiome to health-care practitioners across northern Californian hospitals, clinics and Women Infants and Children (WIC) staff.
Dr. Spang’s research focuses on characterizing and optimizing the efficiency of linked water, energy, and food resource systems. He is particularly interested in applying methods for measuring and monitoring these systems and their interrelationships in high-resolution and across multiple scales, both geographic and temporal. He further seeks to understand the influence of external markets, technological innovation, and policies on this integrated food-water-energy nexus. His recent publications explore the linked relationship between water and energy resource systems, the drivers and environmental impacts of on-farm food losses, and an in-depth review of the academic literature on food loss and waste.
Characterizing and optimizing the efficiency of linked water, energy, and food resource systems. He is particularly interested in applying methodologies for measuring and monitoring these systems and their interrelationships in high-resolution and across multiple scales, both geographic and temporal.
Linoleic acid is a type of fat found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and animal products. Small amounts of linoleic acid are required for proper nutrition, but too much may be detrimental. Americans whose diet includes a lot of processed foods typically consume too much linoleic acid, which can contribute to chronic inflammation, heart disease, and other health problems.
Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension in Small Scale Fruit & Vegetable Processing
Food Science and Technology
Dr. Wang’s research program focuses on chemical quality, purity, and nutrition parameters that occur during fruit and vegetable post-harvesting, processing and storage. This includes but not limited to (1) identifying the important chemical markers that are important for quality, purity and nutrition in food products; (2) developing robust (faster and cheaper) detection methods so they can be easily adopted by industries; and (3) modifying processing methods to improve quality, purity and nutrition. Dr. Wang is also the research director of UC Davis Olive Center.
Dr. Wang’s research lab studies the microbial safety of fresh produce, aquaculture products and animal products. Her program uses conventional microbiological technologies and new precision approaches, such as comparative genomics and metagenomics, to study the behavior of foodborne pathogens and their interactions with the background microbiome.
Dr. Zhang's research program investigates how diet impacts human health, focusing on both host metabolism and microbial metabolism. Her long-term goal is to understand the diet-host-microbe interactions and uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying dietary influences in both health and disease contexts.
