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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOOD PROCESSING GENERATES BYPRODUCT AND WASTE STREAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ITS NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. YET, THE HIGH PROTEIN, SUGAR, AND FAT CONTENT OF FOOD WASTE STREAMS MAKES THEM IDEAL FEEDSTOCKS FOR VALORIZATION INTO REVENUE STREAMS SUCH AS VALUE-ADDED INGREDIENTS. A PARTICULARLY PROFITABLE OPPORTUNITY LIES IN PRODUCTION OF RARE SUGARS, A NATURALLY DERIVED SWEETENER WITH TASTE AND FUNCTIONALITY OF SUCROSE WITH ONLY A FRACTION OF THE CALORIES. COMPARED TO SYNTHETIC CATALYSTS, ENZYMES OFFER HIGHER SPECIFICITY, LOWER ENERGY REQUIREMENT, AND IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN TRANSFORMING FOOD WASTE STREAMS INTO RARE SUGARS, YET THEIR POOR STABILITY AND RECOVERY LIMITS THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THEIR NATIVE STATE. THERE IS THEREFORE A FUNDAMENTAL NEED TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE BIOCATALYTIC (IE: ENZYME CATALYZED) TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD WASTE STREAMS INTO VALUE-ADDED INGREDIENTS. WE PROPOSE A HIERARCHICALLY ASSEMBLED NANOCOMPOSITE, IN WHICH TREHALOSE DECORATED NANOSTRUCTURES PROVIDE ENHANCED STABILITY OF CROSS-LINKED ENZYME AGGREGATES, PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR IMMOBILIZED ENZYME SYSTEMS THAT ARE STABLE UNDER NON-IDEAL CONDITIONS (LOW PH AND HIGH TEMPERATURE). OUR TEAM COMBINES EXPERTISE IN FOOD SCIENCE/ENGINEERING, ENZYME IMMOBILIZATION, POLYMER SCIENCE, TREHALOSE BIOLOGY AND NANOMATERIALS MAKING THEM UNIQUELY SUITED TO ACHIEVE THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES. THE LONGTERM IMPACT OF THIS RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION SYSTEMS AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, IN SUPPORT OF THE USDA GOALS FOR THE SAFE USE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.

$469,000FY2020National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOOD PROCESSING GENERATES BYPRODUCT AND WASTE STREAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ITS NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. YET, THE HIGH PROTEIN, SUGAR, AND FAT CONTENT OF FOOD WASTE STREAMS MAKES THEM IDEAL FEEDSTOCKS FOR VALORIZATION INTO REVENUE STREAMS SUCH AS VALUE-ADDED INGREDIENTS. A PARTICULARLY PROFITABLE OPPORTUNITY LIES IN PRODUCTION OF RARE SUGARS, A NATURALLY DERIVED SWEETENER WITH TASTE AND FUNCTIONALITY OF SUCROSE WITH ONLY A FRACTION OF THE CALORIES. COMPARED TO SYNTHETIC CATALYSTS, ENZYMES OFFER HIGHER SPECIFICITY, LOWER ENERGY REQUIREMENT, AND IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN TRANSFORMING FOOD WASTE STREAMS INTO RARE SUGARS, YET THEIR POOR STABILITY AND RECOVERY LIMITS THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THEIR NATIVE STATE. THERE IS THEREFORE A FUNDAMENTAL NEED TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE BIOCATALYTIC (IE: ENZYME CATALYZED) TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD WASTE STREAMS INTO VALUE-ADDED INGREDIENTS. WE PROPOSE A HIERARCHICALLY ASSEMBLED NANOCOMPOSITE, IN WHICH TREHALOSE DECORATED NANOSTRUCTURES PROVIDE ENHANCED STABILITY OF CROSS-LINKED ENZYME AGGREGATES, PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR IMMOBILIZED ENZYME SYSTEMS THAT ARE STABLE UNDER NON-IDEAL CONDITIONS (LOW PH AND HIGH TEMPERATURE). OUR TEAM COMBINES EXPERTISE IN FOOD SCIENCE/ENGINEERING, ENZYME IMMOBILIZATION, POLYMER SCIENCE, TREHALOSE BIOLOGY AND NANOMATERIALS MAKING THEM UNIQUELY SUITED TO ACHIEVE THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES. THE LONGTERM IMPACT OF THIS RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION SYSTEMS AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES WHICH WILL IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, IN SUPPORT OF THE USDA GOALS FOR THE SAFE USE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY. · GrantIndex