Director's Statement

Welcome to the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research. We are an industrial member-based research and education center at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. We serve carbohydrate-producing and utilizing industries, mostly in the food space. Our 17 faculty members cover a wide range of disciplines from fundamental carbohydrate structure and function to health-related outcomes, and many things in between.

A number of events and trends have recently changed the landscape of industry and public perception of carbohydrates and what we eat. The often-negative perception of carbohydrates in the diet seems to be changing to one where some carbohydrate-based foods can be considered healthy and remain a major part of diets. At the Whistler Center, we continue our long-term research programs on carbohydrates and health, formulation science related to processed foods, and fundamental studies on carbohydrate assemblages, interaction with other food ingredients, and texturizers. In the health area, for instance, over the past 15 years, we have studied the potential of carbohydrates to activate (directly and indirectly) the GLP-1-associated gut-brain axis for reducing food intake and weight management.  This has been demonstrated in animals and soon in a collaborative clinical study with Indiana University School of Medicine, Pediatrics Division. The Whistler Center has a significant multi-faculty research program in dietary fiber carbohydrates and the gut microbiome, which shows promise in the modulation of the gut microbiota for improved health. For years, we have conducted studies on how to incorporate fibers and other carbohydrates into processed foods with good functional properties. And we do so much more, with 16 faculty members having active research programs that cover a broad range of carbohydrate-based topics.

In recognition that we can always do things better and be more responsive to our member companies and to the public, in 2024, we formed an executive advisory committee consisting of Whistler Center alumni and select faculty and staff. The purpose was to critically look at the Center’s operating structure, our services, and our communications. Faculty are taking on more responsibility for operations, we are increasing our presence through social media, and we have rethought how we organize ourselves into research themes. Our new thematic areas are – Components for Healthy Processed Foods, Innovations in Processed Food Quality, Sustainability and Clean-Label, and Healthy Outcomes.

      Please take a look at our 2024 Annual Report for an overview of our most recent research and educational activities, and visit the Services tab for a description of our analytical service and capabilities. We were highly productive in 2024, with 93 refereed journal publications, ~50 faculty-led research projects, numerous domestic and international presentations, and the obtainment of competitive grant funding. Our carbohydrate education services continued as before with our October 2 ½ day short course, 6 webinars, and our annual technical conference following our spring board meeting. We were honored to have Prof. Manuel Coimbra from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, as our 2024 Belfort endowed lecturer, and most recently had Prof. Sang-Hoo Lee from Sejong University, Seoul, Korea as our 2025 lecturer.

 Feel free to contact me, Owen Jones (assistant director), or Melissa Jones (coordinator) with any questions you might have. You may also get in touch directly with our faculty members. We are happy to discuss our services and potential membership in the Whistler Center, or interaction as a non-member.

Sincerely,

Bruce R. Hamaker
Distinguished Professor of Food Science
Roy L. Whistler Chair