Andrea Liceaga named 2026 University Faculty Scholar for international research on nonconventional proteins

Andrea Liceaga, professor in Purdue University’s Department of Food Science, has been named a 2026 University Faculty Scholar. She will be continuing her research on alternative and emerging protein sources and the role bioactive peptides play in influencing factors linked to chronic diseases, such as inflammation, obesity, type two diabetes and hypertension.

Her lab also evaluates protein allergenicity and consumer attitudes unconventional proteins, including edible insects, fish byproduct and novel crops like chia and hairless-canary seeds.

Q&A with Andrea Liceaga

How would you define your research background?

I earned a bachelor's degree in biochemical engineering in food science and technology from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. I then completed both my master’s degree in food microbiology and Ph.D. in food chemistry at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

I joined Purdue University in 2009 as a faculty member, building on research interests that began during my undergraduate studies. Early in my career, I focused on underutilized marine byproducts, including fish bycatch from shrimp trawlers, and explored ways to effectively convert under-utilized fish meat into other food commodities like sausages and hamburger patties. While this work was part of my food science and food processing training, my interest was always in proteins and finding innovative ways to develop value-added products with the unused.

As my research evolved, I became increasingly interested in understanding these alternative protein sources beyond conventional options — dairy, meat and poultry — in greater detail, including how to effectively extract and incorporate them into foods that consumers will accept. Insects, for example, are highly nutritious and rich in protein. They are widely consumed in many parts of world yet many people in Western cultures are reluctant to consume them. This challenge inspired me – how do I take the protein from these amazing sources and use them in food products that people are willing to eat?

Beyond that, my research has expanded to examine the health-promoting potential of these highly nutritious proteins. In my lab, we extract proteins and break them down into fragments of peptides that have biological activity to show positive effects toward minimizing the onset of chronic diseases. While interest in food as a medicine continues to grow, only a small number of researchers in the U.S. are exploring this natural, protein-based approach to disease prevention and promoting health.

What key projects shaped your research and its direction?

When I first joined Purdue, I began working with the invasive silver and big head carp, which are prevalent in water reservoirs in the Midwest and the Mississippi River system. My goal was to find ways to utilize this meat to create value-added products. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, my lab helped develop a chorizo sausage made from the silver carp that was featured at the College of Agriculture’s annual Spring Fest. The response was overwhelmingly positive — people wanted to buy the product and were eager to know where they could find it. This helped promote other ways to utilize an otherwise unused, invasive fish.

My research with edible insects has been particularly transformative in my career, allowing my work to be recognized on an international scale. When I began this research more than a decade ago, most efforts in the field focused on grinding whole insects into flour and powders, and incorporating them into baked goods. This method did not generate very positive results as it changed the color of the product or created a nutty taste. My lab took a different approach, extracting proteins from insects and studying their functional properties to understand how they could be used more effectively in a wider range of food applications. Using commercial-grade enzymes, we were able to convert the protein from insects into protein-rich powders that can be incorporate into foods with lower impact on taste or appearance, while fortifying those foods with high-quality protein and essential amino acids.

What’s the most exciting aspect of your research?

What excites me most is the opportunity to explore protein sources that remain largely overlooked. Many researchers study proteins, but relatively few focus on alternative proteins — sources that remain unfamiliar to many consumers. These underutilized proteins offer tremendous potential, both as sustainable food ingredients and as sources of compounds that may benefit human health.

One example is chia seeds. While they are widely recognized for their nutritional value, their proteins can be difficult for the body to digest because the seeds are surrounded by a gel-like coating called mucilage, which is rich in polysaccharides. One of my graduate students investigated ways to separate that slimy coating from the seeds, making the protein more accessible and easier to digest. This work could improve the functionality of chia seed ingredients and allow us to better understand their potential health benefits.

Another exciting area of research involves hairless canary seeds — alpiste. These seeds are an excellent source of protein and historically used in traditional Meso-American medicine to treat obesity. In my lab, we have been extracting and characterizing proteins from hairless canary seeds to develop bioactive peptides and evaluating their biological activity using cell-based studies, as well as nematode and mice models. Our research has shown that these bioactive peptides may possess anti-obesity and antidiabetic properties, opening the door to new food and wellness applications.

International collaborations are another aspect of my work that I find incredibly exciting. I am currently involved in projects with Indigenous communities in the Amazon, alongside colleagues from Peru and Ecuador. Together, we’re studying honey from stingless honeybees native to the region. We’re interested in identifying and extracting bioactive compounds from the honey, including peptides that may have antimicrobial and anti-aging properties. As bees collect nectar, they can introduce proteins and enzymes that contribute to honey’s unique biological activity.

What motivates your work?

Back in 2013, the United Nations began sounding the alarm about global food security. As the world’s population continues to grow, the challenge is becoming increasingly clear: we are not producing enough food to sustainably meet future demands. Even now, our agricultural systems are under significant strain. Expanding food production using traditional methods will be difficult given the limitations we face in land, water and other critical resources.

That reality is why we must explore alternative protein sources that require fewer inputs and can be produced more sustainably. From a scientific perspective, that means looking at plants, fungi, algae and edible insects to determine whether they have the potential to provide the same nutritional quality as conventional protein sources. In many cases, they can.

What motivates me most is the opportunity to identify health-promoting compounds with these alternative proteins that could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. It’s important to understand not only how these food sources can help address future food needs, but also how they can improve health outcomes as diets evolve around the world. In many Western cultures, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases are major concerns, while other regions continue to struggle with malnutrition and food insecurity.

By studying alternative proteins that are already locally available and culturally accepted, we may be able to develop nutrient-rich and therapeutic foods that support the specific needs of remote communities.

I am also continually inspired by communities I work with near the Amazon. It’s incredible to see the knowledge, care and effort that go into cultivating and harvesting local resources. The region is home to countless fruits, plants and natural products that have been long used for medical purposes. As a scientist, being exposed to that biodiversity is incredibly exciting. It feels like walking into a candy store — I want to study everything.

In what ways has Purdue’s College of Agriculture contributed to your success?

I always emphasize that none of this work would be possible without the outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and visiting scholars who have been a part of my lab throughout the years. Research is truly a collaborative effort.

Although the College of Agriculture is large, we’re a small family within the university. It’s been rewarding to have access to leaders — from department heads to the Dean — who are approachable, supportive and genuinely interested in your research and what you need to succeed. That culture encourages collaborations across disciplines. Everyone has been open to exploring new areas of research beyond traditional protein science.

Last year, I joined the Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF), which has helped me expand my work into the Amazon region and work with international scientists. Through the ISF, we created a research initiative focused on the Amazon, bringing together faculty from the College of Agriculture and others across the university. Together, we can address key challenges related to sustainable agricultural development in Amazonian communities. The goal is to support locally driven solutions that reduce pressure on surrounding ecosystems while promoting economic opportunities.

What’s next for you?

I have a lot of work ahead, with many promising and interesting food and research opportunities to explore in the coming years. I am especially excited to continue studying the diverse plants, fruits, honey and insects of the Amazon. This region will remain a major focus of my research moving forward.