Bioactive Food Proteins and Peptides

Dr. Navam Hettiarachchy's current research focuses on an integrated approach to protein chemistry and biopeptides, value-added nutraceuticals, and product and food safety development. The spin-off of one of her projects has led to the formation of Nutraceutical Innovations LLC. The focus of this company is to generate value-added nutraceuticals in rice bran with a total systems approach. Her research program has pioneered anticancer research in rice and soybean peptides, and demonstrated potent anticancer activities in various types of cancer cell lines.Professor Maurice Marshall's research focuses on food enzymes, specifically polyphenol oxidases in fruits and vegetables and proteases from stomachless marine organisms, as well as unique browning inhibitors from insects, mussels, and crustaceans. He also works on the hydrolysis of waste seafood proteins for bioactive peptide generation and their action as antioxidants and in antidiabetic, anticancer, and high blood pressure regulation.Professor Kenji Sato's current research interest focuses on bioactive peptides, especially the metabolic fate of these peptides. His lab conducts research on food-derived peptides to demonstrate their absorption, metabolic fate, and efficacy, and to elucidate their molecular mechanisms of action.Dr. Arvind Kannan is currently furthering studies on the bioactive peptide, and is involved in projects dealing with bioactive proteins and peptides. He also serves as a scientist at Nutraceutical Innovations LLC, a start-up firm that focuses on fermentation of rice bran to generate bioactives for value-added functional and nutraceutical uses. .