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<P> The ultimate goal of this work is to maintain and improve the quality of human life through advancements in agriculture. Major obstacles to achieving this goal include scarcity or limitation of natural resources, impact of climate change on established agricultural practices and negative influences on human health mediated by environmental, behavioral or microbiological factors. In this project, we will address these challenges through development and dissemination of sustainable processes and practices for food, fuel and human health. These proactive processes and practices will 1) add value to or capitalize on otherwise underutilized agricultural waste streams, 2) explore use of new crops and improve crops, animals, microorganisms or their products in order to enhance their yield, recovery, functionality and/or human health benefits and 3) result in new technologies and processes designed to improve the safety, behavior, functionality and/or nutritional quality of foods, fuels and/or biomaterials and to ensure consumer acceptance. <br>Objective 1: To leverage agricultural commodities, low-value co-products or wastes from food processing and bioprocessing operations or fermentations as sources of compounds, materials and/or end products of value to industry and consumers. Divert agricultural wastes toward valuable end uses while simultaneously reducing the need for landfilling, incineration and other inefficient, costly and environmental burdensome methods of disposal (economic and environmental sustainability). <br>Objective 2: To improve or modify crops, animals, microorganisms or materials derived from these sources (starches, lipids, enzymes, other proteins, peptides, etc.) and enhance their yield, recovery, functionality and/or human health and safety benefits. These improvements may be realized through breeding, selection, genetic and metabolic engineering of organisms or through chemical, enzymatic and physical processing of materials derived from these organisms. Use of new crops with novel functional, health or safety benefits may also be explored (economic and environmental sustainability). <br>Objective 3: To develop new technologies and processes aimed at improving the safety, behavior, functionality and/or nutritional quality of foods, fuels and/or biomaterials. These will include physical and chemical processing approaches intended to reduce or eliminate pathogens and spoilage organisms or to preserve the structure, function and nutritional availability of important food biomolecules. In parallel with these improvements, high standards for food quality and consumer acceptance will be maintained. Methods for the separation, concentration and rapid detection or quantification of microbial pathogens and spoilage organisms will also be developed. These technologies and processes will promote energy independence, increase the health benefits of foods and reduce negative economic and health impacts of food spoilage or microbial contamination (economic and social sustainability). <br>Objective 4: Technology transfer: identify, develop, implement and disseminate technology related to the processes and practices described above. Adoption of the processes and practices developed within this project will benefit the food, bioeconomy, bioproducts, diagnostics, health and medical sectors of industry as well as consumers. Benefits to industry and consumers will extend locally, nationally and globally (economic, environmental and social sustainability). </P>
<P>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The project described here, "Sustainable Processes and Practices for Food, Fuel and Human Health", will provide the means to address emerging challenges to Iowa's agricultural productivity from economically, environmentally and socially sustainable perspectives. The project is aligned with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition's Strategic Plan and involves work across three of our five Departmental Signature Areas: 1) Green Technologies for Food and Fuel, 2) Bioactive Compounds for Health and Wellness and 3) Safety and Quality of Foods. Impacts of this project will include new means for ensuring economic, environmental and social sustainability through: diversion of low-value or waste products from agricultural production streams toward valuable end uses; exploration of new crops and modification of organisms or materials derived from them for enhanced yield, recovery or functionality; and development of new technologies or processes for improving the safety, functionality, consumer acceptance or nutritional quality of foods, fuels, and/or biomaterials. Common to these diverse goals will be a focus on dissemination of results, processes and capabilities to end users in Iowa and beyond. These technology transfer, extension and outreach activities will maximize the value of our research activities to project stakeholders. The multidisciplinary project described here will impact various facets of Iowa and national agriculture including, supply, farming practices, industry need for alternative ingredients and chemicals, nutrition and health, food quality and safety, energy production and economic feasibility. The expected outcomes, and those which will provide direct indications of the success of this project include: increased value and utilization of agricultural commodities and under-valued by-products, improved land management, a reduction in waste streams and enhanced energy independence. Other indicators will include wider availability of healthful food ingredients and food products, improved cooperation with other universities, state and federal agencies, commodity boards, industries and communities. As an academic institution, a fundamental outcome of this project will be training of our graduate students for their future leadership roles in the state, regional, national and global agricultural economies. Transferring the technology, processes and knowledge resulting from these efforts will greatly aid economic development, industrial growth, rural development and promote agricultural excellence in the state.</P>
<P>APPROACH: Due to the limitation of the system we were unable to list on the participants page the following additional co-PDs: Clark Ford, 8725: Food Science & Human Nutrition; Lawrence Johnson 8725: Food Science & Human Nutrition. The general methods to be used to conduct this work are described below, separated according to objective. Objective 1: To leverage agricultural commodities, low-value co-products or wastes from food processing and bioprocessing operations or fermentations as sources of compounds, materials and/or end products of value to industry and consumers. Low-value agricultural materials, including food wastes, lignocellulosic wastes (corn stover), soy whey or soy cotyledon fiber, grape seeds, etc. will be sourced from institutional, industry or academic partners so that they may be further processed for removal and concentration of bioactive compounds, or transformed via fermentation for generation of desirable materials or end products. Traditional and newly developed methods for fractionation, purification and biological, chemical or physical assay will be used to isolate, characterize and test active, high-value components from agricultural waste streams. New or improved processes for energy or biogas production from these waste streams will be developed. Principles of Agricultural Economics and Life Cycle Analysis will be applied to optimize processes and promote economic and environmental sustainability. Objective 2: To improve or modify crops, animals, microorganisms or materials derived from these sources (starches, lipids, enzymes, other proteins, peptides, etc.) and enhance their yield, recovery, functionality and/or human health and safety benefits. Traditional breeding, genetic engineering and other methods for creation and/or selection of cultivars, individuals or isolates having desirable genetic, physiological or genetic characteristics will be applied. Microbial, physical, chemical or enzymatic transformations of starting materials will be used to promote desirable processes resulting in enhanced product yield, recovery or health and nutritional impact or to generate modified molecules or materials having unique and advantageous properties. Objective 3: To develop new technologies and processes aimed at improving the safety, behavior, functionality and/or nutritional quality of foods, fuels and/or biomaterials. "Greener" methods for food processing or materials extraction will be developed as alternatives to economically or environmentally unsustainable practices, these will include aqueous processes for extraction and separation of oils, bioactive compounds and more efficient means for disruption of food matrices and plant, animal or microbial cells for bioproduct recovery. Physical, chemical or enzymatic processes for modification of food ingredients or other inputs such as biofuels or biomaterials will be used to improve the safety, behavior, functionality or nutritional quality of these starting materials. New antimicrobial formulations, including additive or synergistic blends or systems, will be developed, tested and applied to foods. More efficient means for microbial sampling, pre-analytical sample preparation and detection will be developed for more rapid or sensitive detection and characterization of foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms. Objective 4: Technology transfer: identify, develop, implement and disseminate technology related to the processes and practices described above. Mechanisms for technology transfer will include extension activities (visits to growers, wholesalers or processing plants, workshops, webinars, extension bulletins, CD's, etc.), media coverage provided by the Iowa State News Service, local or national media outlets, reports to funding agencies, presentations at scientific meetings (talks, posters, symposia), deposition of theses and dissertations, publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals and patenting and licensing of inventive aspects of the work. </P>