The science behind what we eat

Featured Research

• Coronavirus research on Griffin campus
• UGA researchers comb through reviewed papers to find best methods to mitigate COVID-19

Congrats to participants in the College of Engineering's 2021 Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates who worked in food science with Dr. José Reyes this summer.

Maddie Vorereiter is a rising senior at the University of Colorado Boulder studying Chemical and Biological engineering with a minor in Global Engineering. Maddie is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of biochemical engineering and international development. Maddie examined the effects fermenter design has on the uniformity of fermented cacao beans in the production of ultra-premium chocolate.

Rachel Shen is a rising senior majoring in Biology at the Massachusetts institute of Technology. her goal is to make new discoveries in biological ecosystems. Her focus this summer at UGA was examining the role native microbial populations and environmental conditions of cacao bean fermentation play in obtaining a consistent flavor profile in chocolate production.

Ann Batres-Pereira attends the University of Houston where she is majoring in Chemical Engineering After graduation, she plans on continuing researching the efficiency and utilization of carbon capture and storage during the disposal of agricultural residues with their long-term effects. While at UGA this summer, Ann explored the chemical changes that take place during cacao bean fermentation during the production of edible chocolate.

Maddyson Frierson is a rising junior at Clemson University, majoring in biosystems engineering and minoring in packaging science. Maddyson is interested in sustainable food packaging, sustainable agriculture, food safety, and developing biodiesels. While at UGA, she worked on comparison of sampling methods used for Listeria spp. detection in food processing facilities.