**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY, SPRAY-DRY MICROENCAPSULATION IS A MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR SEGMENT THAT SUPPORTS FOOD FORMULATIONS THROUGH PROVIDING POWDERED NUTRIENTS, FLAVORS, COLORANTS, OILS, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS. IN MICROENCAPSULATION, THE CORE MATERIALS, I.E., THE INGREDIENTS TO BE ENCAPSULATED AND PROTECTED, ARE EMBEDDED IN WALL MATERIALS FOR PROLONGED PROTECTION AND CONVENIENT USE. AS MAJOR INGREDIENTS FOR PROCESSED FOOD, WALL MATERIALS ARE FACING STRONG INDUSTRIAL AND CONSUMER DEMANDS FOR BEING CLEAN-LABEL, PLANT-BASED, AND SUSTAINABLE WHILE PROVIDING SUPERIOR FUNCTIONALITIES. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL WALL MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO THE INDUSTRY. MALTODEXTRIN, INULIN, AND PEA PROTEIN HAVE NO OR LOW EMULSIFICATION PROPERTIES, AND ACACIA GUM, MODIFIED STARCH, AND DAIRY PROTEINS ARE LIMITED BY THEIR LOW SUSTAINABILITY, SYNTHETIC NATURE, BEING ANIMAL-BASED, AND/OR LOW PERFORMANCE IN APPLICATIONS.TARGETING THE ENORMOUS DEMANDS FOR NATURAL, PLANT-BASED, SUSTAINABLE, AND HIGH-QUALITY FOOD AND FOOD INGREDIENTS, IN THIS PROJECT WE WILLDEVELOPNOVEL AND FUNCTIONAL WALL MATERIALSFROM ASPECIALTY FOOD CORN. FIRST, WE WILL EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF PROCESSING CONDITIONS ON THE CAPABILITY OFWALL MATERIALS TO EFFECTIVELY DISPERSE OIL IN WATER (I.E., TO FORM HIGH-QUALITY EMULSIONS), A PROPERTY ESSENTIAL TO A BROAD VARIETY OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES. SECOND, WE WILL EVALUATE THEWALL MATERIALS IN ENCAPSULATING AND PROTECTING SEVERAL IMPORTANT ACTIVE FOOD INGREDIENTS THAT ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEGRADATIONS CAUSED BY HEAT, LIGHT, AND/OR OXIDATION. THEREAFTER, WE WILL SELECTMICROENCAPSULATION FORMULATIONS AND EVALUATE THEIR SENSORY AND/OR NUTRITION PERFORMANCES IN REAL FOOD SYSTEMS, INCLUDING ICE CREAM, SALAD DRESSING, AND SOY MILK. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE FOOD INDUSTRY AND THE CONSUMERS HIGH-PERFORMING, ALL-NATURAL, PLANT-BASED, AND SUSTAINABLE NEW INGREDIENTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF FOODS AND BEVERAGES THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO HUMAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS.