**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO IMPROVE PEA PROTEIN FLAVOR AND TEXTURAL QUALITY BY IDENTIFYING MOLECULAR MARKERS THAT CAN BE TARGETED FOR OPTIMIZATION BY BREEDING AND/OR POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND MANUFACTURING STRATEGIES. THESE OUTCOMES WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO INCREASED INTAKE OF PEA PROTEIN INGREDIENTS WITH CONCOMITANT POSITIVE IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. THIS GOAL IS ACHIEVABLE THROUGH THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF THREE CENTRAL RESEARCH AIMS. FIRST, WE WILL IDENTIFY NON-VOLATILE FLAVOR COMPOUNDS CONTRIBUTING TO THE AVERSIVE BITTER AND UMAMI TASTE SENSATIONS KNOWN TO DECREASE PEA PROTEIN FLAVOR QUALITY AND LIKING. SECOND, PEA PROTEIN TEXTURAL AND MOUTHFEEL ATTRIBUTES WILL BE COMPREHENSIVELY CHARACTERIZED ENABLING THE IDENTIFICATION OF SENSATIONS DRIVING DISLIKING SO STRATEGIES FOCUSED ON THEIR AMELIORATION CAN BE OPTIMIZED. LASTLY, A NOVEL 'UNTARGETED' COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICAL APPROACH WILL BE EMPLOYED FOR FLAVOR CHARACTERIZATION THAT WILL ENABLE IDENTIFICATION OF FLAVOR COMPOSITIONS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE DESIRABILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PEA PROTEIN INGREDIENTS. EMBEDDED IN THIS APPROACH IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY FLAVOR PRE-CURSORS THAT CAN BE TARGETED FOR FLAVOR OPTIMIZATION.