Crop-to-Food Innovation

Prof. Jennifer M. Auchtung

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Health Benefits of Microbiome, Diet, and Host Interactions

My laboratory will train undergraduate students in approaches to identify traits of crops that may enhance health benefits by altering the functions of members of the human gastrointestinal microbiome. Currently, our lab is working to understand how interactions between the microbiome, diet and host contribute to human health. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Andrew Benson

NEBRASKA FOOD FOR HEALTH CENTER

Affects of Genetic Variation in Grain Crops on Human Gut Microbiome

My own research program is focused on understanding how genetic variation in grain crops can affect bioactive components that ultimately have effects on the human gut microbiome. Depending on student’s interest, the REEU participants will have the opportunity to work with any of my lab staff and students who are currently mapping Microbiome-Active Traits (MATs) in Sorghum, Maize, and Common Bean. There are also opportunities for field and greenhouse work, as well as laboratory work using some of the most state of the art automation and robotic systems available for microbiome research.

There are also opportunities for undergraduates to participate in the computational and statistical analysis required for the massive amounts of data that are generated. REEU students would have outstanding mentoring and extraordinary opportunities to explore a wide range of research methodologies and approaches. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Edgar Cahoon

BIOCHEMISTRY & CENTER FOR PLANT SCIENCE INNOVATION

Biochemical and Genetic Basis for Immense Chemical Diversity in Plant Lipids

My lab explores the biochemical and genetic basis for the immense chemical diversity found in plant lipids. By combining biochemistry and functional genomics, we have solved the biochemical pathways and identified the associated genes for a wide range of unusual fatty acids found in seed oils. My research has also provided new insights into vitamin E and carotenoid metabolism in plants. REEU student mentees in my lab will have opportunities to participate in molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry. 

Students will apply techniques in these disciplines to engineer plants using biotechnological approaches, including gene editing, and to analyze the compositions of engineered plants. Students will spend part of their time monitoring and sampling engineered plants in UNL’s crop biotechnology field site. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Ozan Ciftci

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Innovative Food Manufacturing Technologies

REEU students in my lab will learn innovative food manufacturing technologies and recent trends in food manufacturing that are not taught at undergraduate level. Learning supercritical fluid technology and green food manufacturing and having hands-on experience will equip the undergraduate students with valuable skills that will make them ready for the rapidly changing food manufacturing industry. They will also be exposed to university-industry collaborations in my lab, and they will make connections with food industry. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Mary-Grace Danao

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Testing the Effects of High-Pressure Processes on Plant-based Proteins

REEU student can use protocols to test effects of high pressure processing (HPP) and high pressure homogenization HPH on one or two properties of plant-based proteins, such as dry beans and pulses produced in the Nebraskan panhandle.  Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Edward C. Deehan

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Benefits of Non-Digestible Dietary Compounds on Health and the Gut Microbiome

Our research uses in vitro studies and clinical trials to inform the development and commercialization of foods, medical foods, and supplements that aim to promote health through their actions in the gastrointestinal tract. REEU students will learn about the health benefits of non-digestible compounds, such as dietary fibers, and how dietary intervention studies are conducted in humans to evaluate these benefits.

Prof. Ming Guo

AGRONOMY & HORTICULTURE

Plant Transformation Methods

The Plant Transformation Core Research Facility has actively engaged in mentoring learners as they progress through their STEM career path.  REEU will learn about the design and carryout activities on selected crops under study in the lab, to enable the learner to gather hands-on experience in plant transformation methods along with subsequent molecular and phenotypic characterizations of the derived transgenic events.  Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Katherine Frels

AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE

Improving nutrition in small grain varieties

REEU students will be involved in research evaluating nutritional aspects of wheat, barley, and/or triticale. My lab focuses on developing improved small grains varieties using high-throughput genotypic and phenotypic tools to identify genetic mechanisms that control important traits such as yield, protein content, and added nutritional benefits. Students will also work with additional mentors to broaden their experiences and network. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. David R. Holding

AGRONOMY & HORTICULTURE, CENTER FOR PLANT SCIENCE INNOVATION

Breeding and testing nutritionally improved Popcorn, Sweet corn and Sorghum

The project will contribute to a multi-pronged approach to breed nutritionally superior popcorn, sweetcorn and sorghum generated by traditional and cutting edge technologies. The overarching goal is to provide undergraduates with hands-on experience in basic field and/or greenhouse techniques in maize and sorghum breeding while also exposing them to hands on lab screening techniques using primer design, DNA extraction, PCR, protein, starch and sugar analysis. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Kaustav Majumder

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, NEBRASKA FOOD FOR HEALTH CENTER

Exploring the Health-Promoting properties of Dietary Proteins and Peptides

The research program at FoodBioPepLab aims to unlock the potential of crop-derived proteins to generate bioactive peptides through enzymatic digestion, fermentation, and cutting-edge food processing methods. These peptides are studied for their ability to manage and prevent conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic disorders. By employing diverse methods—including in-vitro assays, cell culture studies, in-vivo animal models, and in-silico analyses—the lab seeks to unravel the molecular signaling mechanisms they influence. Furthermore, the program identifies biomarkers and genetic changes linked to peptide interventions, contributing to innovative, healthier food solutions rooted in sustainable crops.

Prof. Amanda Ramer-Tait

NEBRASKA FOOD FOR HEALTH CENTER & NEBRASKA GNOTOBIOTIC MOUSE PROGRAM

Investigating the Health Benefits of Food Crops that Alter the Gut Microbiota

Our research program is focused on the interactions among diet, the gut microbiota, and immunological and metabolic health. REEU participants will work on research projects aimed at understanding how dietary interventions, especially those made from food crops with unique traits known to alter the gut microbiota, can be used to prevent or treat chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), metabolic syndrome, or cancer (melanoma). Participants will work closely with a graduate student mentor from our lab for guidance and hands-on training. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. Devin Rose

FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, AGRONOMY & HORTICULTURE

Processing and Health-Promoting Properties of Grains and Legumes

Research in my lab is centered on processing and health-promoting properties of grains and legumes. Current work is on dietary modulation of the composition and function of the gut microbiota with emphasis on dietary fibers, including resistant starches, proteins, and polyphenolics. The goal in these projects is to determine how dietary compounds can be used to modulate microbial metabolism in the gut and promote host health. We use in vitro and in vivo approaches to show the relationship between chemical composition of food components and functionality of the gut microbiota. Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.

Prof. James C. Schnable

QUANTITATIVE LIFE SCIENCES INITIATIVE & CENTER FOR PLANT SCIENCE INNOVATION

Integrating New Technologies into Maize and Sorghum Research

The participants will be involved in part of the research related to integrating new technologies and capabilities from engineering, computer science, and statistics into maize and sorghum genetic and genomic research.  Student research projects will involve collaborations across two or more of the components of our Crop-to-Food Innovation Pipeline.