Project Description:

Food safety and sustainability are significant concerns in the food processing and packaging industry. There is a pressing need to develop and apply new food packaging materials that can help reduce packaging waste and improve recyclability. This research project will focus on the quality of thermally processed food using recyclable materials. My group (food packaging)  is looking for two interns to assist with food processing, packaging, and food quality (e.g., texture, color, aroma/flavor).

Requirements:

Students should have completed food processing classes and have experience working with thermal processing machines. They should possess basic knowledge in food analysis. While knowledge of food packaging is beneficial, it is not required, as they can learn and gain experience while working here. Additionally, students should be able to write reports in English effectively.

Course work:

• Food processing
• Food analysis

Experience:

• Experience in food processing and food analysis.
• Provide ability to write scientific report and deliver presentation (poster/oral presentation) 

A minimum commitment of 6 months is required, with a willingness to extend if necessary.

Project Description:

Food packaging surfaces can harbor microbial contaminants that compromise food safety and shelf life. Far-UV-C (200-230 nm) light has emerged as a promising nonthermal, human-safe, chemical-free disinfection technology that is both highly effective and safe for human-occupied environments. This project investigates how far-UV-C light interacts with different food packaging materials and identifies optimal treatment conditions to inactivate pathogens while preserving packaging integrity.

In this project, the undergraduate researcher will gain hands-on experience working in a food microbiology lab, preparing test materials, conducting microbial inactivation studies, collecting and analyzing data, and participating in weekly research meetings. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in food safety, nonthermal processing, light-based technologies, or preparation for graduate school.

Requirements:

• Interest in food safety, microbiology, or food processing technologies.
• Completion of introductory coursework in microbiology, chemistry, or food science (preferred but not required).
• Willingness to work in a BSL-2 laboratory following safety protocols.
• Strong attention to detail, good record keeping, and willingness to learn new laboratory techniques.
• No prior research experience required, training will be provided. 

Project Description:

This project investigates how dietary components, microbial metabolites, and host-microbe interactions can be leveraged to beneficially modulate the human gut microbiota. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing nutritional strategies that improve health outcomes, including metabolic function, immune response, and gut barrier integrity.

Students participating in this project will gain experience with experimental design, laboratory techniques, and data interpretation. This project investigates how dietary components, microbial metabolites, and host-microbe interactions can be leveraged to beneficially modulate the human gut microbiota. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing nutritional strategies that improve health outcomes, including metabolic function, immune response, and gut barrier integrity.

Students participating in this project will gain experience with experimental design, laboratory techniques in microbiology and molecular biology (in vitro fecal fermentation, DNA extraction, and metabolite analysis), analysis of microbial communities, and data interpretation.

Requirements:

Students with coursework in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, nutrition and related areas are well suited for this project. Previous laboratory experience is helpful but not required. Strong attention to detail, good record-keeping skills, curiosity about gut microbiome research, and a willingness to learn new techniques are essential. Experience with data analysis or basic coding (R, Python, or statistical software) is a plus but not mandatory.

Project Description:

Detection of foodborne pathogens along the food production chain is of paramount concern. Techniques need to be rapid, discriminate between live and dead cells, and be cost effective (allowing more sampling). Although various rapid molecular and antibody based assays exist for detection of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) they cannot meet the threshold of detection of one organism in the required sample size. Therefore, the requirement to detect one cell necessitates enrichment protocols to eliminate false negatives.

Although required for detection the enrichment time can be compressed when used with concentration steps or increased sensitivity with detection assays. Therefore, detection technologies which can be incorporated into the enrichment steps can save time by exploiting this sink. Although numerous methods have been developed to shorten detection times these methods often exclude the enrichment time which is the bottleneck and the power of the current assays for meeting the zero tolerance standards. Furthermore results of nucleic acid methods are considered presumptive positives and have to be followed up by culture based methods.

The other important issue is to reliably differentiate viable (infectious) and non-viable agents. Phage based detection using reporter phages addresses this issue as their use only allows detection of viable cells. We have previously developed a lysogenic phage-based detection assay for E. coli O157:H7 which has shown low detection limits and ease of application. The assay also allows the recovery of intact cells from positive samples by the resultant phenotype produced by the incorporation of the modified phage genome into the targeted bacterial chromosome. Therefore, this approach allows detection of viable cells and facilitates rapid isolation of the specifically targeted strain.

Our developed phage approach for O157:H7 exploits the lysogenic cycle and is designed to be used during the enrichment step. The anticipated expanded technology developed in this effort could be applied directly in the field (i.e., a food production facility) or a contract lab or used in samples during shipment. The simplicity and cost effectiveness of the assay also could provide an effective screening approach to provide estimates of O157:H7 preharvest contamination of beef and provide a cost-effective screen to be used in determination of produce safety.

Requirements:

Students should have course work in general microbiology and associated laboratory courses as well. Courses in and related experience in recombinant DNA and bacterial are desirable. Previous microbial lab experiences are preferable as well. However the project will provide significant trading for the accomplishment of the student's assigned subproject and responsibilities.

Project Description:

This research project addresses a fundamental area in food science: understanding how food powders interact with moisture in their environment. Moisture sorption behavior directly impacts product shelf life, packaging requirements, powder flowability during manufacturing, microbial safety, and the prevention of quality defects like caking and stickiness.

Students will construct moisture sorption isotherms using both classical static methods (saturated salt solutions) and cutting-edge dynamic instrumentation (VTI Dynamic Vapor Sorption Analyzer), working with diverse food materials including high-fiber cereals, protein isolates, and high-amylose starches. The particular materials to be studied with be determined jointly between interns and project directors. Some of the samples will be prepared by spray drying a variety of active materials for microencapsulation.

The project's dual approach allows students to validate a new predictive model that could simplify and accelerate moisture sorption studies across the food industry. Participants will gain hands-on experience with experimental design, advanced analytical techniques including differential scanning calorimetry for phase transition analysis, and data modeling-all within an international collaboration with the Department of Food Engineering of Tecnológico de Monterrey. This semester-long project offers students at any experience level the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to work destined publication in peer-reviewed journals, providing invaluable experience for graduate school applications or careers in food science and engineering.

Requirements:

This project would be most suitable for students from Food Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering or any related field, who have an interested in industrial food processes. However, any motivated student who is able to think critically, with great technical writing skills, and a proactive mindset interested in gaining applied research experience is encouraged to apply. We'll have the ability to host up to two students to work in this project.

Project Description:

The overall ingredients are to develop plant protein aggregates that exhibit superior solubility and emulsification capacity that could be widely used as stabilizers in beverages. Powders produced from traditional spray drying has low solubility and large particles, which seriously hinder their stability in water or emulsion-based systems for limited applications.

This project will modify plant proteins prior to spray drying to produce powders with controlled aggregation and solubility for different application purpose. The student will be involved in plant protein modification as well as the aggregates characterization.

Requirements:

Desired courses include Food Chemistry and Food Processing
Special skills: have hands on experience in plant protein characterization