ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION THROUGH INTEGRATED RESEARCH BASED PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1028767
• Grant No.: 2022-70001-37580
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $750,000.00
• Proposal No.: 2022-01087
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2022
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2025
• Grant Year: 2022
• Program Code: [NLGCA]- Capacity Building Grants for Non Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture

Recipient Organization
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
118 N. WOODWARD AVE
TALLAHASSEE,FL 32306

Performing Department
Nutrition & Integrative Phys

Non Technical Summary
This proposed large-scale comprehensive initiative (LCI) project belongs to the General Food, Agricultural and Human Sciences (Discipline Code G). The long-term goal of this project is to expand our capacity to train underrepresented students in the Food and Nutrition Science program at Florida State University (FSU) through enhancement of research capabilities as well as through collaboration with two 1890 Historically Black Land Grant Universities (Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Virginia State University (VSU)). Three supporting objectives of this LCI proposal are to (1) expand the capacity of FSU to provide education, research, and leadership skills training of underrepresented students in food and nutrition; (2) establish a partnership with FAMU and VSU through integrated research and education; and (3) address two national priority concerns (food safety and food systems sustainability). The intended beneficiaries will be students, farmers, participants, industries, academia, agencies, authorities, and the public. The expected major outcomes are the following. (1) Through those unique recruitment strategies, student enrollment will increase, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups with strong interests in food and nutrition. (2) Our program will achieve better retention rates of the students from underrepresented groups. (3) 21 excellent students, especially at least 14 underrepresented students, will be supported by this project. (4) Those new/modified courses will attract more undergraduate and graduate students to attend. (5) Leadership skills, knowledge and qualities will be developed in those students who participate in this project. (6) A partnership with FAMU and VSU will be established through integrated research and education.?

Animal Health Component

30%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

30%

Applied

30%

Developmental

40%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
711	5010	2000	30%
501	5010	2000	30%
502	5010	2000	40%

Knowledge Area
711 - Ensure Food Products Free of Harmful Chemicals, Including Residues from Agricultural and Other Sources; 501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies; 502 - New and Improved Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
2000 - Chemistry;

Keywords

ed_nutritioneducatio

Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to expand our capacity to train underrepresented students in the Food and Nutrition Science program at Florida State University (FSU) through enhancement of research capabilities as well as through collaboration with two 1890 Historically Black Land Grant Universities (Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Virginia State University (VSU)). Three supporting objectives of this project are to (1) expand the capacity of FSU to provide education, research, and leadership skills training of underrepresented students in food and nutrition; (2) establish a partnership with FAMU and VSU through integrated research and education; and (3) address two national priority concerns (food safety and food systems sustainability).

Project Methods
Education component: student recruitment, retention, and educational equityWe will adopt at least four strategies to further enhance student recruitment, retention, and educational equity, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups. First, we will closely collaborate with the FSU Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). Second, through integrated research and education, we will partner with two 1890 Historically Black Land Grant Universities, FAMU and VSU, to prepare students interested in pursuing graduate degrees at FSU in the food and nutrition area. Third, through this proposed project, several modified/new courses in Food and Nutrition Science will be offered to undergraduate and graduate students. Fourth, to increase the enrollment of B.S. degrees in Food and Nutrition Science, student recruitment will be through popular classes offered by our program. Undergraduate students, especially from underrepresented groups, will be recruited and receive basic bench-work training. Also, we will provide undergraduate internships, which will allow students to gain an experiential learning experience in how to conduct and present research. In addition, graduate students will be recruited and receive first-hand experience in multi-disciplinary research and education.Research component: studies and experimentation in food and agricultural sciencesThe proposed research project will address two national priority concerns (food safety and food systems sustainability) and require a multi-disciplinary scientific approach. It will involve food chemistry, nutrition, engineering, and biotechnology training. As the food safety project, the overall goal of this project is to identify the potential application of non-thermal processing, such as ultrasonication and cold plasma treatment, to improve fish safety and quality. As the food systems sustainability project, the overall goal of this project is to develop innovative foods and food packaging containing grape pomace. This project will provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with different backgrounds (e.g., chemistry, biology, and engineering).Evaluation planWe will conduct two-fold evaluations to effectively assess the outcomes: self and external evaluation. As to self-evaluation, both education and research components will be evaluated. Overall, project progress will be evaluated every Spring semester by PI and Co-PIs. At the end of each academic year, PI and Co-PIs will have a meeting to determine: (1) the extent of progress made, (2) adjustments, if need be made, and (3) steps to be taken. Outcomes will be objectively determined by the student's progress towards degree completion using existing progress evaluation and feedback procedures at FSU. As to external assessment, the project evaluation design will be formative and summative and will use mixed-method approaches (quantitative and qualitative methods) for program evaluation.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate students and graduate students majoring in Nutrition and Food Science at Florida State University (FSU), Virginia State University (VSU), and University of Delaware (UD). Changes/Problems:Dr. Jing Yang, a postdoctoral researcher at FSU, was replaced by Dr. Yu-Jou Chou, who joined the team on October 1, 2024. Additionally, significant progress has been made in curriculum development and program enhancement. The syllabus for the "Introduction to Nutrition and Food Science" course has been revised to align with the "Engage 100" criteria following consultations with the program staff. This immersive program, unique to FSU, is designed to support first-year student success and encourages all freshmen to take two "Engage 100" courses. Once the revised course is approved as part of this initiative, it is expected to significantly increase student enrollment in the major by raising awareness among incoming students. Furthermore, with strong support from department and college administrators, as well as faculty and staff, the CIPcode for the Bachelor's and Master's programs in Food and Nutrition Science has been updated to classify them as STEM majors, a change anticipated to enhance program competitiveness and attract a broader range of students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided numerous training and professional development opportunities across multiple institutions. At FSU, Dr. Qinchun Rao's lab offered two undergraduate students six-week summer research internships in 2024, introducing them to food science and technology. The interns gained hands-on experience in protein extraction and purification and developed skills in research, presentation, communication, and teamwork through activities such as making research notes, conducting experiments, collecting data, performing statistical analysis, contributing to conference abstracts and journal manuscripts, and preparing presentations. In Dr. Leqi Cui's lab, one PhD student gained bench work experience and published scientific articles. At UD, Dr. Juzhong Tan trained two African American undergraduates in developing grape pomace fortified chocolates and conducting sensory evaluations, while a graduate student worked on cold plasma processing and valorization of food wastes for chocolate ingredients. At VSU, three students, including two dietetic interns and one undergraduate, received hands-on training, fulfilling their research internship requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of this project have been disseminated to communities of interest through various channels. At FSU, Dr. Rao's team submitted a paper to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and presented three oral and seven poster presentations at national conferences. They also used email lists from courses and student organizations to reach potential students. Dr. Cui's lab submitted a paper currently under review, and Dr. Haiyan Maier worked with student advisors from the Biology and Chemistry departments to promote the "Intro to Food and Nutrition Science" course, which was communicated to all undergraduates in those departments. At UD, Dr. Tan delivered four oral and poster presentations at COFE 2024, IAFP 2024, and IFT 2024. At VSU, research findings were shared at regional and national professional meetings, reaching scientists, K-12 students, state and federal agents, farmers, and consumers. Additionally, on June 7, 2024, Dr. Rao hosted a virtual annual USDA Project Mini-Conference, where faculty members shared updates, and three students supported by the grant presented their research findings. Two interns were also introduced during this meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to accomplish several goals across institutions. At FSU, the "Intro to Food and Nutrition Science" class will be offered twice yearly, reaching approximately 40 students per academic year to increase program awareness and enrollment. We are developing minors in Food and Nutrition Science and potential certificate programs, updating the curriculum with state-of-the-art classes, and enhancing the program's website. Dr. Cui will continue training one PhD student and plans to train an undergraduate on technologies to improve food shelf life. At VSU, two students will be recruited and trained to assess the microbial quality of food products from food outlets in and around Virginia's food deserts, evaluating year-to-year variations. We will confirm isolated presumptive foodborne pathogens and assess them for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Additionally, we will evaluate AMR variance in E. coli from fecal samples of various animals, including livestock, wild animals, waterfowl, avian species, and water from wastewater treatment plants in Central Virginia. At least two students will gain hands-on experiential learning by assessing microbial quality differences in food products and examining AMR variance associated with different animal species.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Under these goals, significant accomplishments were achieved across multiple institutions. At FSU, two undergraduate students engaged in hands-on learning in Dr. Rao's lab, focusing on seaweed protein chemistry, including training in protein extraction, purification, and characterization. This effort resulted in one research article under review and seven national conference presentations, earning one 1st place and two 2nd place awards. Dr. Cui developed a pea protein-based edible coating to extend the oxidative stability of salmon, while Dr. Maier introduced the Intro to Nutrition and Food Science class, set to join the Engage 100 program in Fall 2025. At UD, Dr. Tan developed new courses in Food Product Development and Food Sensory, incorporating modules on novel processing technologies, waste valorizations, and food and gut health. At VSU, students engaged in experiential learning to assess microbial quality in food deserts and trained in pathogen thermal tolerance, with one student advancing to a graduate program. These efforts are collectively advanced knowledge in food science provided valuable student research opportunities and documented microbial quality and antimicrobial resistance in Virginia.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Zhao, Y., Mumby, W., & Rao, Q. Immunodetection of chicken serum albumin, an egg yolk allergen. Oral and poster presentations at Food Safety & Quality Management Division, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2024 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Zhao, Y., Mumby, W., & Rao, Q. Immunodetection of egg yolk residues. Poster presentation at Florida Association for Food Protection (FAFP) Annual Education Conference, Saint Petersburg, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Tang, C., Zhao, Y., Jiang, X., Hoque, S. S., Tang, Y., Tan, J., & Rao, Q. Evaluation of ultrasonication and cold plasma on seafood protein. Poster presentation at Nonthermal Processing Division, IFT 2024 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Tang, C., Zhao, Y., Jiang, X., Hoque, S. S., Tang, Y., Tan, J., & Rao, Q. Evaluation of ultrasonication and plasma-activated water (PAW) on white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) protein. Poster presentation at 2024 FAFP Annual Education Conference, Saint Petersburg, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gao, J., Yang, J., Tang, C., Bingi, A. K., Zhao, Y., Tan, J., Rao, Q. Antioxidant and cytotoxic potential of muscadine grape pomace-enriched chocolate. Poster presentation at Food Chemistry Division, IFT 2024 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gao, J., Yang, J., Tang, C, Ellouze, I., Arjmandi, B., Rao, Q. In-vitro antioxidant and anticancer properties of citrus peel. Oral and poster presentation at International Division, IFT 2024 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Bingi, A K.; Zhao, Y.; Tang, C.; Gao, J.; Rao, Q. Optimization of alginate extraction from pelagic Sargassum spp and assessment of bleaching and purification on characteristics of sodium alginate. Oral and poster presentation at Aquatic Food Products Division, IFT 2024 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Meem, F., Kniel, K., and Tan, J. Postharvest washing using plasma microbubble to inactivate Escherichia coli on fresh produce. Poster presentation at COFE 2024, Seattle, WA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Meem, F., Smith, K., Omar, A., Kniel, K., and Tan, J. Effects of cold plasma fumigation treatments on the inactivation of Escherichia coli on food contact surfaces. Oral presentation at COFE 2024, Seattle, WA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Smith, K., DeRocili, B., Omar, A., Tan, J., and Kniel, K. Mitigation of cross-contamination in hydroponics by robotic fertigation. Poster presentation at IAFP 2024, Long Beach, CA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Meem, F., Smith, K., Omar, A., Kniel, K., and Tan, J. Investigate the antimicrobial effects of atmospheric cold plasma generated by various plasma reactors. Poster presentation at IFT 2024, Chicago.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Riley, A. Understanding the landscape of antimicrobial resistance in central Virginia. Oral and poster presentation at ARD Annual Symposium, April 6-9, 2024, Nashville, TN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Riley, A. Impact of cellular agriculture media on the thermal tolerance of leading foodborne pathogens. Oral and poster presentation at 2024 VSU 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, April 5, 2024, Petersburg, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Riley, A. and Earls, Sahmod. Enumeration of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance variance in e. Coli isolated from environmental samples. Oral and poster presentation at VSU Open House, March 23, 2024, Petersburg, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Riley, A. and Michaud, S. The importance of food safety practices and enumeration of foodborne pathogens grown on different growth media. Oral and poster presentation at VSU AgFest, March 19, 2024, Petersburg, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Riley, A. and Both, N. Food products sold at farmers markets in Virginia. Oral and poster presentation at State Fair of Virginia, September 27-October 1, 2023, Doswell, VA.

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate students and graduate students in the Nutrition and Food Science major at Florida State University (FSU), Virginia State University (VSU), and Florida A&M University (FAMU). Changes/Problems:Firstly, Dr. Yixiang Xu, previously a Co-PI at VSU, is no longer affiliated with the institution. Consequently, her responsibilities have been transferred to Dr. Chyer Kim, a food microbiologist at VSU. Secondly, Dr. Juzhong Tan, a Co-PI at FAMU, has recently moved to the University of Delaware as of Fall 2023. This transition has led to delays in student recruitment, facility setup, and research activities. Lastly, at FSU, our focus is on refining the course curriculum, enhancing program visibility, and boosting undergraduate enrollment. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?At FSU, in Fall 2022, we posted an advertisement online for the recruitment of a Postdoctoral Fellow in Rao Lab. We received approximately 70 applications in response. Following a thorough evaluation process, three candidates were shortlisted and subsequently invited for interviews. Finally, we successfully recruited one, and he commenced his position in February 2023. In Summer 2023, collaborating with the FSU Food for Thoughts Pantry, the project offered a training opportunity to 2 sustainability fellows at the FSU campus. FSU Sustainability Fellows are student leaders engaged in real-world sustainability research and problem-solving. These fellows gain professional development experience and receive credit toward graduation. The project's title is "Efficient Service Delivery: Uniting Principles of Dietetics, Sustainability, and Food Insecurity Intervention." At VSU, the project provided hands-on training opportunities for 3 students, including 2 dietetic interns and 1 undergraduate student. The interns conducted the necessary research for the fulfillment of their research internship program, offering experiential learning and research opportunities for students in the VSU Agricultural Research Station Food Safety and Microbiology Program. This contributes to the advancement of knowledge and documentation regarding microbial quality associated with food products sold in Virginia's food deserts. At FAMU, we aim to offer minority students experiential training in food processing, food safety, and food analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this period, our team published three research articles in 'Food Chemistry' and other leading journals in the field. Additionally, we presented 13 oral and poster presentations at various national and regional conferences. To reach potential students, we leveraged email lists from different courses and student organizations to effectively disseminate information. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The introduction of the Food and Nutrition Science program at FSU will be integrated into the major research and classes of our Co-PIs at VSU and FAMU. This collaborative approach is designed to spark student interest in pursuing advanced degrees in food and nutrition at FSU. At FSU, we are conducting several studies and experiments in the field of food and agricultural sciences and are currently updating our curriculum to make it more appealing to prospective students. In Spring 2024, we will debut the 'Introduction to Nutrition and Food Science' course, aimed at increasing awareness of the major and, consequently, boosting enrollment. Additionally, updates to the program's website are underway. At VSU, during the next reporting period, we plan to repeat the microbial assessment to compare year-to-year variations in the findings. We also intend to provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities for at least three students, allowing them to evaluate the microbial quality of various food products available in Virginia's food deserts. Where relevant, any isolated foodborne pathogens will be further analyzed for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Meanwhile, Dr. Tan, now at the University of Delaware, will focus on recruiting one graduate student from an underserved ethnic community, offering them training in areas such as extrusion, cold plasma sanitation, and food analysis."

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have been actively collaborating with the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) at FSU, with a primary focus on addressing student recruitment, retention, and educational equity within the Food and Nutrition Science program. This partnership has led to the development of an introductory class in nutrition and food science and the creation, review, and finalization of a program flyer. Additionally, we have been discussing the introduction and modification of Food and Nutrition Science courses for undergraduate students at FSU, VSU, and FAMU. Our main goal is to enhance their experiential learning by providing comprehensive training in food chemistry, nutrition, engineering, and biotechnology, thereby equipping them with vital research skills. At VSU, students engaged in hands-on learning, particularly assessing microbial quality variations in food products within the Tri-cities food deserts of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell in Virginia. This training included applied research principles, experimental procedures, and laboratory tool usage, focusing on the enumeration, isolation, and identification of target microorganisms. At FAMU, two African-American undergraduate students received experiential learning in food product development, cold plasma sanitation, and extrusion, preparing them for potential graduate studies at the University of Delaware. In the first year of this project, our team published three peer-reviewed journal articles in top-tier journals and presented 13 papers at various international and national conferences.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Rao, Q., Jiang, X., Tang, C., Zhao, Y., Tan, J. Application of novel non-thermal processing technologies in food protein analysis. Presentation at the 2023 IAFP Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jiang, X., Rao, Q. Immunodetection of finfish residues on food contact surfaces. Food Chemistry, 426: 136502.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Darwish, A.G., El-Sharkawy, I., Tang, C., Rao, Q., Tan, J. Investigation of antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of chocolate fortified with muscadine grape pomace. Foods, 12(17): 3153.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Xu, P., Tan, J. Inactivation and removal of Klebsiella michiganensis biofilm attached to the inner surfaces of piping by plasma-activated microbubble water (PMBW). Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 86: 103360.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Riley, A., Kim, C., Sriharan, S., Nartea, T., Dhakal, R., Zheng, G., and Baffaut, C. Potential hotspots of antimicrobial resistance emergence and dissemination in the environment: A case study in central Virginia. Presentation at the 2023 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting. Ontario, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tan, J. Effect of plasma activated nanobubble water (PNBW) treatments on klebsiella aerogenes biofilm on the inner surfaces of piping: numerical simulation and experimental validation. Presentation at the 2023 IAFP annual meeting. Toronto, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tan, J., Sanford, J. Investigate the effect of plasma activated water (PAW) on the safety and yield of romaine lettuces (Lactuca sativa L. var. Longifolia) from hydroponics. Presentation at the 2023 IAFP annual meeting. Toronto, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jiang, X., Rao, Q. Detection of finfish residues on contact surfaces by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Presentation at the 2023 ACS Spring Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jiang, X., Rao, Q. Development and characterization of ssDNA aptamers against finfish proteins. Presentation at the 2023 IFT Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Zhao, Y., Jiang, X., Rao, Q. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of allergenic bony fish residues. Presentation at the 2023 IFT Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Zhao, Y., Jiang, X., Rao, Q. Competitive ELISA for the detection of allergenic fish residues. Presentation at the 2023 AOAC Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tang, C., Rao, Q. The effect of temperature on pH-stressed soybean agglutinin, an antinutritional protein. Presentation at 2023 Chinese American Food Society (CAFS) Student Research Competition. Chicago, IL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tan J. Building research and education capacity by valorizing muscadine grape pomace to fight health disparities in underserved communities in the south. Presentation at the 2023 1890 COE Symposium. Baton Rouge, LA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Riley, A., Sriharan, S., Kim, C. The impact of environment on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli isolated from central Virginia. Presentation at the 2023 Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM. Washington, D.C.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gernon, A., Kim, C., Abujamous, A., Wynn, C. Prevalence of foodborne pathogens in food procured in central Virginia food desert. Presentation at the 2023 Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 94th Annual Meeting. Richmond, VA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tan, J., Sanford, J. Investigate the effects of plasma activated water (PAW) on the growth, safety, and quality of buckwheat microgreens. Presentation at the 2023 FAMU Student Research Symposium. Tallahassee, FL.