What is the impact of your research in your field?
My research brings together food microbiology and food engineering to develop more effective ways to control foodborne pathogens. A major focus is understanding how emerging thermal and nonthermal technologies, such as UV-C, far-UV-C, pulsed light, and visible light, can be designed and optimized for real food-processing applications. Ultimately, I want to bridge the gap between promising technologies in the laboratory and practical food safety solutions that processors can actually use.
How can people see the impact of your research on everyday life?
The impact can be as simple as having safer food with a longer shelf life. When we improve how foods are processed, packaged, or protected from contamination, we can reduce food safety risks and potentially reduce food waste at the same time. My Extension work will also bring my research directly to food producers through technical assistance, education, and training.
How does your work improve lives for Minnesotans, the nation, and the world?
Food safety affects everyone. My research develops novel technologies and practical strategies to reduce foodborne pathogens, improve food processing, better food quality, and help producers make safe, nutritious products. While many of the solutions we develop can directly support Minnesota food businesses and communities, the underlying approaches can also be applied to food systems nationally and globally.
How does your research and expertise create opportunities for growth and impact in health, rural communities and workforce development?
My program connects food safety research with Extension and workforce education. I want to help small and specialty food businesses, especially those in rural communities, access scientific knowledge and technologies that allow them to produce safer foods, develop new products, and grow their businesses. I am also interested in developing accessible training in food safety, emerging processing technologies, and digital and AI tools so that students and food professionals are prepared for a rapidly changing food industry.
What drew you to your field of study?
I was originally trained as a chemical engineer, and I became fascinated by how engineering principles could be applied to biological problems that directly affect people's daily lives. Food safety engineering was a natural fit because it combines microbiology, engineering, processing, and public health. I especially enjoy working on problems where scientific discoveries can be translated into practical solutions for the food industry and communities.
What is your favorite research/lab tool and why?
Light itself is probably my favorite research tool. I have worked extensively with UV-C, far-UV-C, pulsed light, and visible light, and I find it fascinating that changing something as fundamental as wavelength, intensity, or exposure can dramatically change how microorganisms respond. It is a great example of how physics, engineering, and microbiology come together in food safety research.
What do you consider to be your greatest research accomplishment?
I am especially proud of developing a body of research showing how different light-based technologies can be used to control foodborne pathogens and how they can be combined with other technologies to design effective hurdle approaches. Beyond individual studies, this work has helped me build an interdisciplinary research direction that combines microbiology, engineering, innovation, and practical applications.
What is your favorite part about teaching and mentoring students?
My favorite part is seeing students become increasingly independent and confident in how they approach problems. I enjoy helping students move from learning established knowledge to asking their own research questions, designing experiments, interpreting results, and communicating their work. Those moments when a student begins to think like an independent scientist are especially rewarding.
What is your favorite part about engaging with community members in your Extension role?
I enjoy learning about the real challenges that food producers are facing and helping translate scientific knowledge into solutions they can actually use. Extension creates a two-way connection: producers benefit from research-based information, but their questions also help us identify important research needs. I especially enjoy working with small and specialty food businesses where relatively targeted technical support can make a meaningful difference.
What is your favorite food science or nutrition fact?
One of my favorites is that visible blue light can be used to inactivate certain foodborne bacteria. Many people associate microbial control with heat or chemicals, so it is surprising that carefully selected wavelengths of light can also be used as a food safety intervention. It is a great example of how food science brings together technology innovation and consumer needs in interesting ways.
Meet Dr. Chen's Graduate Student: Minghao He
Hometown: Guangzhou, China
Degree pursuing: Food Science MS
Advisor: Hanyu Chen
What is your research focus?
My research focuses on food safety and food microbiology, particularly on the use of nonthermal technologies to disinfect foodborne pathogens. My previous research and experiments examined the effectiveness and efficiency of different wavelengths of UV-C and visible lights for microbial inactivation on low-moistured foods. I am interested in developing practical, effective, and affordable disinfection methods to improve food safety.
How did you become interested in food science/nutrition?
I grew up seeing people use food for many purposes beyond simply providing energy, including health maintenance and medicine. I also noticed how foods and eating habits could affect peoples' mental and physical health. This made me curious about foods and nutrition, how we can make better use of food, and how to ensure its quality, taste, and nutritional value.
What is your favorite food science or nutrition fact?
One of my favorite food science facts is that much of what we perceive as flavor actually comes from our sense of smell rather than taste alone. I also find it fascinating that the same food or flavor can be perceived so differently from person to person.
Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?
I chose the University of Minnesota because of its strong and supportive Food Science graduate program and research environment, and the opportunity to continue working with my advisor, Dr. Hanyu Chen. Here, I can also keep developing my research experience and skills, while exploring different areas of food science and preparing myself for a solid career in the food industry.
How does your research tie into the research being done in your advisor's lab?
My research aligns closely with Dr. Chen’s lab, I previously worked in her lab on light-based microbial inactivation methods, and my MS research will continue to build on this direction while further exploring more strategies to improve microbial safety in foods.
What are your future plans?
In the future I hope to work in food research and development, particularly in areas related to quality control, food safety, and product innovation. I want to apply my knowledge and skills to solve practical problems or improve food products or processes, and connect scientific research with real-senario applications.