Aqualab VSA Grant Winner Announced
The Department of Biological System Engineering of Washington State University, and Washington State University (WSU) and University of Idaho (UI) joint School of Food Science have been awarded the 2011 Vapor Sorption Analyzer (VSA) Grant.
The WSU/UI research team was chosen to receive the 2011 VSA Grant because of a diverse range of applications and is well known among the scientific community for their materials science research and extensive published works.
The recipients are:
- Dr. Shyam Sablani, lead scientist
- Dr. Jeffri Bohlscheid
- Dr. Caleb Nindo
- Dr. Kerry Huber
- Dr. Armando McDonald
These scientists represent the Biological Systems Engineering, Food Science, and Forestry Products from both universities. They are excited and ready to analyze many different samples, from dehydrated Northwest berries to wood products.
They will use the VSA to understand solids and water mobility, develop novel dehydration processes, evaluate the effects of moisture on properties of biopolymers, and develop “mobility maps.” This will help food scientists better understand the relationships between kinetics of water sorption and desorption, matrix mobility and the rate of chemical and physical changes in food materials.