Awardees include four university scientists in the fields of human microbiota, organic synthesis and next-generation encapsulation technologies
In a special ceremony, IFF (NYSE:IFF) presented four leading university scientists with Danisco Foundation awards for their work in advancing the future of food, nutrition and health. The Science Excellence and Microbiome Science awardees have been selected for their remarkable achievements in advancing science and technology.
As a result of the 2021 merger with DuPont’s Nutrition and Biosciences—for the first time—IFF is carrying forward the storied legacy of the Danisco Foundation awards in support of scientific advancement. Established in 1981, the Danisco Foundation predominantly provides funding to support food science research.
“At IFF, we’re accelerating the rate and impact of breakthrough innovations through our own first-in-class innovation pipeline, and through our support of fundamental research which benefits the entire industry,” said Gregory Yep, IFF chief R&D, integrated solutions and sustainability officer. “As scientists and creatives ourselves, we’re thrilled to celebrate and support four forward-thinkers who combine creativity and science in order to do more good for people and planet.”
The 2021 and 2022 honorees are:
- 2021 Danisco Foundation Science Excellence Award: Tina Jeoh, Ph.D, University of California Davis, USA – selected for her work in developing industrially-scalable microencapsulation technologies. She is focused on using sustainable and non-toxic ingredients such as alginates and proteins as carriers to stabilize and control the delivery of bioactive ingredients including enzymes, lipids, polysaccharides, and microbes for food, feed, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable agriculture applications.
- 2021 Danisco Foundation Microbiome Science Award: Paul Ross, Ph.D., Prof., APC Microbiome Ireland at UCC – recognized for his work on the human microbiome in both early and late human life when the community is at its most dynamic. His focus has been on bacterial competition in microbiomes and the discovery of mechanisms utilized by bacteria to outcompete each other. His work is aimed at developing microbiome editing tools for applications including food bio preservation and alternatives to antibiotics for animal and human health improvement.
- 2022 Danisco Foundation Microbiome Science Award: Jeffrey Gordon, MD., Prof., Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA– selected as a pioneer in microbiome science for his work in understanding the roles of microbes in human health and disease. His work is focused on addressing the global health challenges of malnutrition through new understanding of the interactions between food, the gut microbiome and human physiology.
- 2022 Danisco Foundation Science Excellence Award: Phil Baran, Ph.D., Prof., Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, La Jolla, USA – selected for his work in organic synthesis. He has been focused on simplifying the practice of synthesis by inventing new methods and strategies that are applicable to a range of materials, from flavors and fragrances to oligonucleotides and pharmaceuticals, which will aid in the pursuit of sustainable solutions.
