GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE - Dalne Sinclair

Dalne Sinclair standing in front of a snow-covered treeDalne Sinclair successfully defended her M.S. thesis on December 18. Dalne is originally from Honduras where she completed her undergraduate degree at Zamorano University.

Dalne's thesis was entitled, "Advancing 3D Printability of Plant-Based Proteins through Chemical and Mechanical Modifications."  This work investigated nonthermal processing technologies to improve the functionality and printability of sustainable protein sources for extrusion-based 3D food printing. Soy protein isolate was modified using atmospheric cold plasma, while microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) were treated by high-pressure homogenization followed by ethanol-based decoloration. Through these nonthermal approaches, the applied technologies were shown to enhance the printability and structural performance of alternative protein systems for 3D food printing.

Dalne was advised by Jen-Yi Huang. Other members of her graduate committee included Da Chen and Martin Okos.

Dalne was first introduced to Purdue during an internship in 2022. She says, "During my internship, I was impressed by the strong teamwork, the guidance from professors, and the high quality of research done in the university. Working closely with researchers helped me understand how collaborative and supportive the research environment at Purdue is, and how much students are encouraged to learn and grow. This experience made me realize that Purdue was the right place to continue my studies.The mentorship, research opportunities, and sense of community made Purdue feel like home and motivated me to pursue my graduate studies here."

During her time at Purdue, Dalne received several awards and recognition including:

  • Association of Zamorano Alumni (AZA) Purdue Travel Award – 2025
  • 3rd place at National Honey Board 2025 Snack Competition – 2025
  • 4th place at the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) Snack Competition – 2025
  • Oral Presentation, 15th International Conference on Non-Thermal Processing of Foods (NTPF 2025), China – 2025

Dalne was also an active member of the Zamorano Alumni Association at Purdue University, serving as the social media manager from 2023-2024.

After graduation, Dalne plans to continue her education in food science with a focus on sustainability and the development of new food processing technologies. Congratulations, Dalne! We wish you the best in your future endeavors!