News

Robots in the cornfield? UNL team believes it’s the next big thing

NFHC Director- Dr. Andy Benson Elected as 2019 American Academy of Microbiology Fellow

May 22^nd, 2019

 Nebraska Food for Health Center Director Andy Benson, Ph.D., has been named a 2019 Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. This is a selective leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Dr. Benson is 1 of 109 Fellows selected for this year.

For full press release click here

Dr. Heather Rasmussen and Dr. James Schnable Promoted to Associate Professor and Granted Tenure

April 2019

Lincoln, Neb. – NFHC members, Dr. Heather Rasmussen and Dr. James Schnable are among the 98 Faculty from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln who were recently awarded promotion and/or tenure. They were honored April 23 during a celebration at the Lincoln Station.

For full news story click here

NFHC Advisory Board Member- Dr. Eamonn Quigley Awarded St Patrick's Day Science Medal

March 15th, 2019

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D.,  presented Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) prestigious St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal to Prof Eamonn Quigley, Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, at Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College; and Mr Michael Mahoney, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Boston Scientific, for their significant contributions to academia, research and industry.

Dr. Bob Hutkins Invited Speaker in Washington D.C.

March 8th, 2019

Dr. Bob Hutkins was an invited speaker at the Food Forum 2019 meeting in Washington D.C.  Held at the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, the Food Forum brings together leaders from academia, industry, and government.  The theme for the Spring meeting was “Beyond Traditional Nutrition” and included topics on probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, functional and bioactive foods, and nutrition policy.  Prof. Hutkins spoke on fermented foods and the microbiota.

Sequenced genome of ancient crop could raise yields: Insights may expand farming options, add economic value in Nebraska Panhandle

March 4th, 2019

Humanity has finally gotten to know one of its oldest, hardiest crops on a genetic level.

An international team has sequenced and mapped the genome of proso millet – a feat essential to raising yields of the drought-resistant crop in the Nebraska Panhandle and semiarid regions where population booms foreshadow food shortages.

Dr. James Schnable receives NAPPN Early Career Scientist Award

February 21^st, 2019

Lincoln, Neb. – NFHC member, Dr. James Schnable has recently been awarded the Early Career Scientist Award from the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN). Schnable has been an assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2014.

See Dr. Schnable's NFHC member page

Dr. David Hyten selected for new faculty leadership program

January 30^th, 2019

Lincoln, Neb. – NFHC member, Dr. David Hyten is one of 28 University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty members selected by the Executive Vice Chancellor's office for the Faculty Leadership in Academia: From Inspiration to Reality (FLAIR) program.

Nebraska microbiologist investigates antibiotics and gut health

December 19, 2018

Lincoln, Neb. — Commonly used antibiotics can work wonders when it comes to eradicating “bad” bacteria like those that cause strep throat, pneumonia or urinary tract infections. But how do they affect the “good” bacteria in your gastrointestinal microbiome?

Jennifer Auchtung, a food microbiologist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has been awarded a $387,955 grant from the Centers for Disease Control to begin searching for an answer to that question.

NU regents approve $5 million mouse house to grow research into how the gut affects health

December 4, 2018

LINCOLN — University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists know the little guts of mice are similar enough to the human gut to yield valuable information.

The NU Board of Regents on Tuesday approved construction of a new $5 million facility where, among other things, mice will exist in a germ-free environment. The building will be privately funded and erected next door to the East Campus building in which the mice currently live.