Danquah’s International Research Collaboration Develops Advanced Food Technologies, Engineers
In the summer of 2026, thousands of North Americans suffered from parasitic infections of Cyclospora. As the number of hospitalizations mounted, public health officials and food producers struggled to identify the source of the infections—a difficult task in the complex global food market, and one delayed by the days-long turnaround times for pathogen tests.
While the Cyclospora outbreak was eventually tied to fresh lettuce, processed foods can also be a source of foodborne illness. Heat-based processing methods like blanching, canning, and pasteurization are common and effective ways to improve the shelf life and safety of many types of produce, resulting in products like tomato soup, apple sauce, and pineapple juice.
However, heating these foods on an industrial scale uses a large amount of energy, contributing to climate change. Thermal methods can also destroy nutritional factors like Vitamins B and C or alter the flavor and texture of foods in unappealing ways.
“Food security and food sustainability are among the defining challenges of our generation, and engineering will play a central role in addressing both,” said Michael Danquah, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE).
Last year, Danquah and his collaborators started a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to develop emerging food processing and safety technologies that balance food innovation and sustainability— and to cultivate the next generation of food scientists at the same time.
The NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program at the University of Tennessee is a collaboration between UT’s Tickle College of Engineering, the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), and the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Danquah, UTIA Associate Professor Tao Wu, and Otago Professor Indrawati Oey are now mentoring the second IRES cohort in developing heat-free food processing techniques and a real-time food pathogen-sensing platform.
“Our research is about building a future where safe, nutritious food is produced more efficiently and more sustainably for a growing global population,” Danquah said. “Equally important, this project is preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists to work across disciplines, cultures, and technologies to push the boundaries of food innovation.”
Learning from International Experts
While many traditional engineering problems involve static materials, the living tissues in fresh produce can react very differently to treatments depending on their composition, structure, and precise processing conditions. That variability can make engineering for food systems an unexpectedly complex challenge.
Oey, who conducts research in Otago’s Food Science Department, is internationally recognized for her expertise in innovative food processing. She is a recognized expert in Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) food processing, a sustainable, non-thermal method that uses short, high-voltage electrical pulses to disrupt biological tissues. Last year, students in the first IRES cohort helped Oey demonstrate that PEF improves processing efficiency while preserving food quality, flavor, texture, and nutritional value.
In their summer semester, IRES cohort members spend eight weeks in hands-on training under Oey and her team at the University of Otago in New Zealand, using state-of-the-art PEF technologies and food characterization techniques to address food processing and quality challenges that have global significance.
“Professor Oey and her team provide invaluable mentorship to our students,” Danquah said. “Beyond the technical training, this collaboration exposes our students to different research perspectives, laboratory environments, and international approaches to solving engineering challenges.”
Learning from Local Experts
After returning to UT’s Knoxville campus, IRES students conduct an additional 12 weeks of research. Danquah’s research group is spearheading the development of a rapid sensing platform for food pathogens using advanced synthetic DNA molecules called aptamers.
Danquah pairs aptamers to signaling molecules to create electrochemical aptasensors that bind with high specificity to whole or specific regions of a target organism’s DNA. When applied to food surfaces, these aptasensors quickly highlight the presence of the pathogen of interest, such as Cyclospora spores. This fall, Danquah will continue guiding the IRES students in creating aptasensors for various pathogens, helping locate and identify foodborne contaminants much faster than traditional laboratory methods.
“Through this program, students do much more than conduct experiments; they gain a deeper appreciation for how engineering principles can be applied to solve real-world challenges in food systems,” Danquah said. “The interdisciplinary environment encourages them to think beyond traditional engineering boundaries and develop solutions that are both technically sound and practically relevant to the food industry.”
Generational Impacts on Food Safety
As they work toward earning bachelor’s degrees, undergraduate students take advantage of programs like IRES to discover which kinds of challenges most inspire them. Early, hands-on research opportunities can be the deciding factor in a student’s career trajectory—in fact, after completing the program, multiple students in the first IRES cohort resolved to pursue food science professionally.
“One of the aspects I value most about this project is that it demonstrates what can be achieved through international collaboration,” Danquah said. “This partnership between UT and the University of Otago combines complementary expertise, world-class facilities, and diverse perspectives to address challenges that affect people around the world.”
Even if consumers never know how their apples are processed or tested, they will benefit from IRES through higher-quality foods, improved food safety, and greater sustainability—and through a new generation of food engineers familiar with international collaboration and comfortable tackling global challenges.
“This project goes beyond the publications and technology,” said Danquah. “Its greatest legacy will be the students we develop.”
Contact
Izzie Gall (egall4@utk.edu)