PURDUE UNIVERSITY
FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH CAPABILITIES
Initial Points of Contact:
Dr. Suresh Garimella, Associate Vice President for Engagement
Office of Engagement
Phone: 765-494-9095
E-mail: sureshg@purdue.edu
Dr. John A. Schneider, Assistant Vice President for Industry Research
Office of the Vice President for Research
Phone: 765-494-0743
E-mail: jas@purdue.edu
Dr. Geanie Umberger, Assistant Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations
Office of the Vice President for Research
Phone: 765-496-3723
E-mail: gumberger@purdue.edu
Purdue University has strong and well-recognized efforts in Food Science and Nutrition. Strong ties exist
with industry since the research in this area has both a strong scientific base and practical/useful
implications.
Several colleges and departments involved are:
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Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Agricultural Economics
Agronomy
Anthropology
Chemical Engineering
Food Science
Health and Kinesiology
Health Sciences
Horticulture
Nutrition Science
Psychological Sciences
Sociology
Veterinary Medicine
The major efforts are found in the Department of Food Science (College of Agriculture) and the
Department of Nutrition Science (College of Health and Human Sciences).
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Department of Food Science
Dr. Suzanne Nielsen, Head (nielsens@purdue.edu)
There are four signature areas of research:
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Food Chemistry, Structure, and Function
 Dr. Rengaswami Chandrasekaran
 Dr. Bruce R. Hamaker
 Dr. Srinivas Janaswamy
 Dr. Owen Jones
 Dr. Andrea Liceaga
 Dr. Lisa J. Mauer - Lab Website
 Dr. S. Suzanne Nielsen
 Dr. Brad . Reuhs
 Dr. Yuan Yao
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Foods for Health
 Dr. Mario G. Ferruzzi
 Dr. Bruce R. Hamaker
 Dr. Kee-Hong Kim
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Food Safety and Microbiology
 Dr. Bruce M. Applegate
 Dr. Arun K. Bhunia - Lab Website
 Dr. Haley F. Oliver
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Food Processing and Technology Development
 Dr. Christian E. Butzke - Lab Website
 Dr. Li-Fu Chen
 Dr. Carlos M. Corvalan
 Dr. Kevin M. Keener
 Dr. Lisa J. Mauer - Lab Website
 Dr. Mark T. Morgan
 Dr. Fernanda San Martin
Centers
Center for Food Safety Engineering (CFSE) –CFSE incorporates a large collection of
microbiologists in a food science department with other Purdue University areas for the purpose
of rapid detection and eradication of foodborne pathogens. The web site is
http://www.cfse.purdue.edu.
Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research (WCCR) – This world renowned center is a universityindustry research center that conducts fundamental research related to practical applications of
carbohydrates. The WCCR includes faculty from several departments at Purdue. It has a
consortium of companies that interact on a research level. Participating companies receive a
research investment value of 80 to 1. The Center is named in honor of Roy L. Whistler. The web
address is http://www.whistlercenter.purdue.edu.
Center for Integrated Food Manufacturing (CIFM) - CIFM has the mission to raise the level of
education in automation and process control among food scientists and engineers, and to
increase the value of automation to food manufacturers through enhanced productivity, food
quality and food safety. This center includes our departments EHEDG testing and approval
facilities. The web site is http://www.ag.purdue.edu/foodsci/cifm/.
Food Processing Environmental Assistance Center (FPEAC) - FPEAC is committed to developing
and promoting innovative strategies that achieve better environmental results, reduce costs,
and promote environmental stewardship throughout the Food Processing Industry. The goal of
the Center is to become a primary provider of environmental information, resources, and
training to assist small and medium sized food processors in achieving environmental
compliance and stewardship. The website is http://www.fpeac.org/.
International Food Technology Center (IFTC) - IFTC is a food processing-based center designed
to link farmers to markets. The Center, housed at Purdue University’s Department of Food
Science, is geared to meet the increasing demand for food and economic growth in
agriculturally-based developing economies. The Center is based on recognized research and
analytical expertise in food production, processing, and marketing, already in place at Purdue. It
also involves efforts within and across universities, national and international research centers,
private organizations, and industrial food and equipment companies as they relate to advancing
food security by enhancing markets for new and traditionally processed (i.e., value-added) foods
and reducing food losses. The website is http://www.ag.purdue.edu/foodsci/foodtechcenter.
Facilities
Purdue Food Science utilizes state-of-the-art technology to conduct research, teaching, and
assisting companies from around the world. The Nelson Hall of Food Science, completed in
1998, has the largest research capacity of any academic building of its kind in the U.S. Its 36
research labs house research in food science as well as food process engineering. Purdue, long
known for its efficient utilization of classroom space, adds two more - plus a teaching lab - in the
building.
Within this building, we utilize the latest technologies to conduct research. We have: a Varian
300 MHz NMR, a Unity Scientific 2500 NIR, a Nicolet Nexus 670 FT-IR with Continuum IR
Microscope, an atomic force microscope, a VTI Gravimetric Moisture Sorption Balance, and a
steam-injection unit with a flash cooler that reintroduces flavor compounds.
The cornerstone of the new building is a state-of-the-art Pilot Laboratory. Operating as a model
manufacturing area, it allows manufacturers to see how a process works before committing to
full production. Similarly, a key strength of the Department and the new building, the Sensory
Laboratory provides sensory analysis through subjective tasting of food acceptability.
Industry Relations
The Department of Food Science was built around the idea that we have two customers;
students, and the industry they serve. We have personnel on staff specifically to assist
companies.
Laurie Swift, Administrative Director, is available to answer your questions and ensure a "winwin" relationship with the department. For the company that is interested in collaborating with
the Department at "a higher level", they have our Industrial Associates, a 20+ year program that
helps them improve their program by staying in touch with our industry partners.
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Department of Nutrition Science
Connie Weaver, Head (weavercm@purdue.edu)
The Department of Nutrition Science is recognized nationally for its vital research contributions
to disease prevention and health promotion as well as its outstanding academic programs. We
are a rapidly growing department with special strengths in these signature areas:
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Calcium, Vitamin D, and Bone Health
The Department of Nutrition Science has had a strong presence in calcium nutrition
since the mid 1980s. Additional hires have expanded the expertise to include vitamin D
and relationships to health that extend beyond bone to cancer, hypertension, body fat,
and diabetes. Currently, topics related to calcium and Vitamin D are two of the most
funded nutrition areas because of their broad relationship to health and the prevalence
of deficiencies in the U.S. and around the world.
Contributors in the Department
 James Fleet
 Dennis Savaiano
 Dorothy Teegarden
 Connie Weaver
Engagement
The breadth and depth of bone health research being conducted in the Department of
Nutrition Science is well documented. Critical to nutrition and health research, such as
the bone health work, is dissemination of the research results and concepts to targeted
public audiences. Currently, research is being conducted to test tailored educational
intervention to improve the bone health of adolescents. If the hypothesis is correct —
that the intervention does improve bone health — the educational materials must be
made available as widely as possible to the target adolescent audience. For all bone
health research findings, Purdue Extension provides a unique national dissemination
network for educational programming through Consumer and Family Sciences and 4H/Youth development county-based educators. Other national dissemination groups
will be utilized, for example: YWCA, Girl Scouts, and public school teachers for use in
their classrooms. Measurement of knowledge, attitude and behavior intent will be
made to determine the effectiveness of the educational curriculum.
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Botanicals and Bioactives for Health
Purdue University has a distinguished reputation in nutrition and pharmacognosy
research that dates back many generations. With the advent of the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994, the use of botanicals has greatly increased, in some
cases, without sufficient concern for safety of intake of various types. The Botanicals
Center for Age Related Diseases, led by Purdue in collaboration with the University of
Alabama-Birmingham, is one of six centers funded by the National Institutes of Health,
Office of Dietary Supplements Core Center Projects (NCCAM) in the US.
Contributors in the department
 John Burgess
 Wayne Campbell
 James Daniel
 James Fleet
 Elsa Janle
 Charles Santerre
 Connie Weaver, Director
Engagement
The engagement portion of the NIH Botanicals Center for Age Related Diseases has been
working collaboratively in support of the research projects and other activities and in
developing educational programs for professionals. The engagement program has
focused on developing Web sites and Internet-based programs on botanicals:
 NUANPP Online
 Botanicals Research Center for Age Related Diseases
 X-Train
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Appetite, Metabolism, and Obesity
More than 60 percent of the population is overweight and 25 percent are clinically
obese. Over $35 billion is spent annually on diet foods, aids, and programs. The health
care costs associated with overweight/obesity are estimated at over $100 billion
annually due to the contribution of excess body fat to chronic diseases such as diabetes,
hypertension, and osteoarthritis. There are approximately 280,000 preventable deaths
from obesity annually, and the toll on productivity and quality of life are high.
Dietary approaches to prevent and manage body weight have been largely unsuccessful,
in large part because they have failed to address issues associated with hunger and
satiety that compromise diet compliance. The importance of exercise in weight
management and health optimization has only recently gained attention and remains
poorly characterized. The most critical deficiency in knowledge and practice is how
appetite and exercise interact to influence food choice, metabolism, and energy
balance. Researchers in the Department of Nutrition Science, in collaboration with
colleagues on campus and at other institutions, conduct cutting-edge research in this
area and support the training of preeminent researchers and practitioners to meet the
health care needs of the community, state, and region.
Contributors in the Department
 Kim Buhman
 Wayne Campbell
 Rachel Clark
 James Daniel
 James Fleet
 Richard Mattes
 Barbara Mayfield
 Megan McCrory
 Steven McKenzie
 Dorothy Teegarden
Engagement
Studies in these areas are facilitated through our teaching and training of undergraduate
and graduate students. The nutrition, fitness, and health major is the second largest
major in our department (dietetics in the largest) and includes didactic and experiential
training provided by numerous faculty including, Rachel Clark, MS, RD, director of the
nutrition, fitness and health major, and Steve McKenzie, M Ed, continuing lecturer in
exercise and health promotion. Findings from our discovery efforts can be effectively
disseminated by one of the strongest teams of Extension educators in the nation.
Engagement activities related to the Diet, Energy Balance, and Fitness signature area
include the use of the A. H. Ismail Fitness and Nutrition Research and Education Center
to conduct nutrition consultations, fitness assessments, and exercise programs to
benefit both students and community members. The Ismail Center is a 700+ member
facility with which the Department of Nutrition Science works synergistically.
Outreach to the community is involved with the clinical experiences as well. PRIDE, the
Purdue Resource for Integrative Dietetics and Exercise, is an endowed resource that
provides a platform to support the training of preeminent researchers and practitioners
to meet the healthcare needs of the community, state, and region. Currently in the
developmental stages, the PRIDE Community Education and Outreach Program will
actively seek to provide the greater Lafayette and Indiana community with high-quality
exercise, appetite, and diet information through health and fitness newsletters,
newspaper articles, a nutrition hotline, radio segments, and/or a speakers bureau.
SpringFest at Purdue is an opportunity to showcase the department's Signature Areas to
children and their parents. Nutrition Science students volunteer their time to run the
kids' activity stations, including the milk bottle ring toss and milk mustache pictures, as
well as the body fat estimation station for the parents. Several of the learning activities,
such as FN 41500: Practicum in Nutrition, Fitness and Health and HPER 42200: Clinical
Experiences in Health and Fitness also involve engagement activities with the
community residents as 'clients.'
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Cancer Prevention
It is increasingly clear that states of abnormal cell growth and death regulation are
found in a wide variety of disease states including cancer. The impact on mortality of
these diseases is clear as cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United
States (American Cancer Society). Since 1990, over 12 million cases of cancer have been
diagnosed with associated medical costs estimated at $107 billion/year. Any substantive
progress in research in these areas will aid in designing preventive strategies and
improve the quality of life for those suffering from these diseases as well as reduce the
associated health care costs. Understanding the role of nutrients in regulation of cell
growth and death decisions will clearly aid in designing recommendations to prevent
specific diseases.
It has been suggested that nutrients play a prominent role in cancer prevention, but
how they regulate cellular growth, differentiation and death is still unclear. For example,
colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed each year in
the US and as many as 35% of those diagnosed die of this disease. Although many of
these cases are the result of an inherited propensity to develop tumors, a majority of
the risk is a result of “environmental” causes.
Cancer prevention research in the Department of Nutrition Science has been ongoing
from many years, however recently the strength of this area has grown. The number of
faculty involved in cancer related projects has increased, and the research direction of a
new faculty hire in to the Department will be cancer prevention. In addition, the overall
environment at Purdue is conducive to enhancing Cancer Prevention as a signature
area, with other INP faculty and the unique Purdue Cancer Center. The impression of
our department is that only 1 or 2 nutrition departments as a whole are known
nationally for their research in cancer prevention. Therefore, there is a gap that
Purdue’s Nutrition Science Department is poised to fill.
Contributors in the Department
 Kim Buhman
 John Burgess
 Jim Fleet
 Dennis Savaiano
 Silvia Stan
 Dorothy Teegarden
 Jon Story
Resources Available
In addition to the excellent laboratory facilities in the department of Nutrition Science,
other campus wide resources and collaborations are available to further foster the
research in cancer prevention.
An important resource on campus is the Purdue Cancer Center. The Cancer Center is
one of just eight NCI-designated basic-research Cancer Centers in the United States. The
Center is committed to helping cancer patients by identifying new molecular targets and
designing future agents and drugs for effectively detecting and treating cancer. In
addition, the Indiana Elks Cancer Research Program was established at Purdue
University in 1948. Since then, the Indiana Elks Charities, Inc. has provided continual,
generous support to the program. In 2002, cumulative donations reached over
$2,370,000. The Purdue Cancer Center uses all donations from the Indiana Elks to
directly support cancer research, either through the funding of individual and
collaborative research grants or the purchase of critical equipment. The core facilities
are available to all researchers campus wide.
The Cancer Center's core services include:
 Analytical Cytology
 DNA Sequencing
 Drug Discovery
 Macromolecular Crystallography
 Mass Spectrometry
 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
 Transgenic mouse core
Centers and Programs
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Botanicals Center for Age-Related Diseases
Camp Calcium
Cancer Prevention Internship Program
Center on Aging and the Life Course
Indiana CTSI
Ingestive Behavior Research Center
International Breast Cancer and Nutrition Project
Oncological Sciences Center
Purdue University Center for Cancer Research
Research Facilities
As a part of dramatic departmental growth, we have increased and improved our research
facilities. The department offers excellent facilities for both molecular, cellular, biochemical, and
clinical studies.
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Clinical Laboratory Resources:
 Body Composition Laboratory
 Human Performance and Metabolism Laboratory
 Human Sensory Laboratory
 Ismail Fitness Center
 Metabolic Kitchen
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Basic Science Resources:
 Animal facilities
 Complete cell culture facilities
 Equipment for separation of both macro- and micronutrients
 State-of-the-art molecular biology equipment
 Transgenic animal facility
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Analytical Capabilities:
 Bodily fluids
 Body composition/energy expenditure
 Bone density
 Cell cycle and cell death
 Diet composition
 Ingestive behavior
 Isotopic tracer techniques
 Macro- and micronutrients
 Nutrient status
 Physical performance
 Sensory function
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Special Instrumentation and Skills:
 Interactive multimedia Web design
 Kinetic modeling
 Protein purification
Corporate Affiliates
The mission of the Purdue Nutrition Science Corporate Affiliates program is to partner with the
Department of Nutrition Science in its mission to improve the well being of individuals and
families by expanding the knowledge of food and human nutrition through discovery, learning
and engagement. The Corporate Affiliates program fosters a relationship between the
department and industry to promote research collaborations, employment opportunities and
explore current issues pertaining to nutrition and health. Members of Corporate Affiliates have
the opportunity to visit campus twice a year to participate in symposia on topical research
issues. Members also take advantage of individually arranged visits on topics relevant to
specific corporate needs. From an initial meeting of six members in 1996, membership has
grown to nearly 30 affiliates.
Some recent symposia topics have been:
• Processed Foods for Health
• IOM Report on Calcium and Vitamin D DRI's & 2010 Dietary Guidelines
• SoFas & Salt/To Eat or Not to Eat for Weight Maintenance/Cancer Prevention
• Eating Patterns
• When Nutrition Meetings Engineering/Public Policy
• Botanicals Research and Health
• Understanding Metabolic Regulation
Membership Benefits:
• Corporate visibility with students and faculty
• Source of employable graduates
• Pre-prints/publications
• Research/education partners
• Large public outreach networks (Extension)
• Training workshops
• Staff development
• Academic perspective on emerging issues
• Commitment by faculty and administration to address members' needs
• Semi-annual symposium on topical issues
• Extend your staff
Areas of Emphasis:
• Nutrition and dietetics
• Nutrition education
• Nutrition, fitness and health
• Nutrition and prevention of chronic disease foods
• Food chemistry
• Chemosensory evaluation
• Food safety education
Membership Fee
Corporate Affiliates pay a minimum of $6,000 per year as an unrestricted gift.