The Marco lab is located in The Department of Food Science & Technology at The University of California, Davis
Research in the Marco lab examines the roles of microorganisms in determining food safety, food quality, and gut health. A common thread to our research is the investigation of the ecology and host-microbe interactions of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in food systems and the mammalian digestive tract. The broad objective of our studies is to identify the attributes of microorganisms that can be used to guide improvements in food production to benefit human health.
Research in the Marco lab examines the roles of microorganisms in determining food safety, food quality, and gut health. A common thread to our research is the investigation of the ecology and host-microbe interactions of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in food systems and the mammalian digestive tract. The broad objective of our studies is to identify the attributes of microorganisms that can be used to guide improvements in food production to benefit human health.
LAB NEWS
January 2021 The ISAPP consensus paper on fermented foods is now published. The paper provides a new definition of fermented foods and beverages and provides guidance on the difference between probiotics and fermented foods. For more information - see Maria's blog and this summary.
November 2020 Maria's "Crystal Ball" article was published in Microbial Biotechnology. The article proposes that research defining the precise ways microorganisms benefit human health will be expanding rapidly in the near future. For more reading about this article, see here.
October 2020 Our EATLAC project has launched! We are seeking fermented fruits and vegetables to study the microbiome of those foods. For more information, see our website here: https://www.eatlac.org/
July 2020 Congratulations to Dr. Annabelle Yu for completing her dissertation research on the intra-species diversity of plant-associated lactic acid bacteria!
May 2020 Our comprehensive review on how the gut microbiome changes in response to resistant starch type 2 was published in Nutrition Research. Congrats to Zach on leading the way on this paper!
November 2020 Maria's "Crystal Ball" article was published in Microbial Biotechnology. The article proposes that research defining the precise ways microorganisms benefit human health will be expanding rapidly in the near future. For more reading about this article, see here.
October 2020 Our EATLAC project has launched! We are seeking fermented fruits and vegetables to study the microbiome of those foods. For more information, see our website here: https://www.eatlac.org/
July 2020 Congratulations to Dr. Annabelle Yu for completing her dissertation research on the intra-species diversity of plant-associated lactic acid bacteria!
May 2020 Our comprehensive review on how the gut microbiome changes in response to resistant starch type 2 was published in Nutrition Research. Congrats to Zach on leading the way on this paper!
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WELCOMING AVIAJA:
Dr. Aviaja Hauptmann joined our lab in the fall of 2020 as a visiting postdoc. Dr. Hauptmann’s research revolves around fermented Inuit foods from Greenland using a metagenomics approach. Through the GUTCYCLES project, her research explores the Inuit gut microbiome and how it responds to the particular characteristics of the Greenlandic diet, including its animal-based composition and well-known high amounts of contaminants. This project is connected to the UMAMI project about the Unusual Microbiomes And Metabolites of Inuit foods, from which it will be possible to trace microbes from traditional Inuit ferments in the gut microbiota. The UMAMI project looks at Inuit fermentation through microbial and anthropological perspectives to understand how these animal-based ferments enabled life in the high Arctic. Working with Inuit food culture, a culture she herself grew up with, has also inspired her to dive into Inuit food history and food sovereignty as new fields of research. The research is funded for two years by the Carlsberg Foundation and the Greenland Research Council. |
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