Carbohydrate Function & Application Lab

about us

Dr. Senay Simsek and her group have developed a research program focused on the integration of crop quality with the structure-function relationships of carbohydrates and other polymers to increase the utilization of cereals, legumes, and other underutilized crops and their byproducts in the food and baking industries.

Contact Us

Senay Simsek, Ph.D.
ssimsek@purdue.edu
745 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-8256

 

Research areas

General Research Areas:axos-01.gif

  • Structure-function relationships of carbohydrates
  • Industrial hemp utilization
  • Grain and legume quality & utilization
  • Carbohydrates in the baking industry

Specific Research Areas:

  • Characterization and utilization of industrial hemp grain and byproducts
  • Innovative uses for processing by-products and waste materials
  • Carbohydrates and bioactives from grains for human health
  • New carbohydrate functional ingredients
  • Biodegradable packaging films
  • Variation and functionality of sorghum carbohydrates and bioactive compounds
TDF Analyzer
Extraction
MS spectra
Baking Hemp Muffins
Hemp Grain
Hemp Muffins

Current Research Projects

Dr. Simsek's laboratory team has several projects aiming to expand the utilization of grain polymers, emerging crops, and agricultural by-products. Click below to learn more about these ongoing projects.

 

Industrial hemp has several products, from the stalks and from grain material. We want to answer the question, “How can we use these products in the food industry to benefit industrial hemp producers?”

Development of Industrial Hemp Product Strategies:

  1. CHARACTERIZATION- Characterize hempgrain composition to identify unique traits and valuable foodproduction components.
  2. UTILIZATION & DEVELOPMENT- Develop innovative strategies to create hemp food products, create unique foodcomponents and capture valuable hemp by-products.
  3. VALUE-ADDING INNOVATIONS- Provide critical information regarding value-adding strategies for hemp growers andinnovative products for the food industry.hemp-graphic.png

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Research and Education

Soybean growers can appreciate the need for fueling the market and value-added soybean food segment with the discovery of new processing techniques, generating consumer demand, creating a selling story for soy, and exploring how to incorporate this mighty legume into everyday products. With the demand for food-grade soy products increasing each year, growers can rest assured that this investment will benefit farmers, industry, researchers, and students for years to come.

Currently, soy food innovations and developments mirror global health, wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle trends. Many consumers are looking for healthier and more environmentally friendly products. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to consumers seeking new information and becoming more involved in the protein markets while searching for plant-based proteins that are best for them. On a global scale, there are several important soy food categories to watch (functional & fortified foods, dairy alternatives, and new spins on traditional soy foods).

Food, Feed, and Industrial

  • Development
    • Functional Foods - Meat Analogs - Dairy Alternatives - Fermented Soy Products
  • Extraction
    • Value-Adding - Sustainability - Transformation
Connect: Growers, Researchers, & Consumers
  • Breeding
    • Variety Development - Functionality - Agronomics
  • Marketing
    • Students and Stakeholders - Market Development - Education

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Our Team

Senay Simsek

Dr. Senay Simsek

Principal Investigator (PI)

Dr. Simsek joined the faculty at Purdue University and the Department of Food Science on July 1, 2021. She serves as the Head of the Department of Food Science and is Dean's Chair in Food Science. Her research focuses on the integration of cereal quality with the structure-function relationships of carbohydrates; expanding utilization of grain-derived and carbohydrate functional ingredients in the baking industry, value-adding strategies for cereal and legume by-products; and the investigation of carbohydrates and fiber components of grains and legumes to increase utilization while finding new and innovative applications for carbohydrates in the food industry.

Kristin Whitney

Kristin Whitney

Sr. Research Associate

In August 2021, Kristin joined the Department of Food Science at Purdue University as a Sr. Research Associate in Dr. Senay Simsek’s group. Kristin Whitney completed her BS in Food Science and MS in Cereal Science at North Dakota State University. She previously worked in the Department of Plant Sciences at NDSU as a research specialist in the Carbohydrate Chemistry and Wheat Quality group. Kristin assists with research projects related to structure-function relationships of carbohydrates and grain macromolecules. She is responsible for coordinating research projects and sample analyses related to crop utilization, carbohydrate functionality, and functional ingredients in baking.

Laila Hossain

Dr. Laila Hossain

Research Associate

Laila joined the Department of Food Science at Purdue University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in September 2022. Previously, Laila worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Adelaide, Australia, where she worked on the development of biodegradable active food packaging film. Laila completed her PhD from Monash University, Australia, in developing biodegradable, renewable nanocellulose superabsorbent for personal care products, food packaging and biomedical applications. Currently, Laila is working on extraction, functionalization and surface modification of hemp fibers and quantifying their structure-property relationship to produce new and innovative value-added products for the food industry. Laila is very enthusiastic about developing new materials and playing with their structure to tune the specific properties while maintaining environmental sustainability. 

Kalpana  Bhatt

Dr. Kalpana Bhatt

Post-Doctoral Research

Kalpana graduated with a PhD in Microbiology from Gurukula Kangri University, India, where she scrutinized how plant-microbe interaction contributes to sustainability. Currently, Kalpana is assisting on the ongoing research projects and is working on the structure-function relationship of compounds in food systems. Precisely, scrutinizing bioactive compounds biological functionalities. Her personal interests vary from microbial food safety, environment microbiology, system biology and molecular docking, modeling, and simulation. Kalpana is enthusiastic about deciphering various traits of food science contributing in a green sustainable environment.

Taylor Main

Taylor Main

Undergraduate Laboratory Assistant

Taylor is currently a junior studying Food Science and Biochemistry. Taylor joined Dr. Simsek’s team in November of 2021. Since then, she has assisted in the research on a 3-D food printer and developed methods for automating specialized food techniques and practices. Taylor is interested in how this technology can be applied to a broader scope of food science.