Maneesha Mohan

Title

Associate Professor and Alfred Chair in Dairy Manufacturing

Office Building

Alfred Dairy Science Hall

Office

136

Mailing Address

Alfred Dairy Science Hall 136
Dairy & Food Science-Box 2104
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Education

• Ph.D. in food science and technology | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | 2014
• M.S. in dairy science | South Dakota State University | 2010
• B.Tech. in dairy science and technology | Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, India | 2007

Academic Interests

As a researcher in the area of dairy science, I have endeavored to bring together the chemistry, processing, technologies and engineering aspects together.

My areas of expertise are:

1. Product structure and rheology.
2. Novel food processing technologies – High pressure processing, Nanobubble technology, Supercritical fluid processing.
3. Functional products and ingredients.
4. Dairy processing and value addition.
5. Delivery systems, release kinetics and biological activity.

I am currently focused on optimizing processing technologies for functional benefits and value addition of dairy products and ingredients. I collaborate with research institutions and industry to understand the areas requiring research and provide solutions for dairy processing and product development. My goal is to enable commercialization of optimized novel technologies and sustainable processes, that can enhance the value of dairy products, ingredients and waste streams.

Academic Responsibilities

Teaching:

1. Independent Study (DS 791)
2. Dairy Products Processing I and Lab (DS 460/L-560/L)
3. Dairy Products Judging (DS 201)
4. Advanced Dairy Products Judging (DS 401)
5. Laboratory Techniques in Dairy Science (DS 731)

Committees and Professional Memberships

Leadership - Professional Organizations:

1. Editorial board member, Journal of Dairy Science
2. Review editor, Frontiers in Nutrition journal in the Chemistry section
3. Guest editor, MDPI Food journal special edition on 'Modifications and Interactions of Milk Proteins in Different Processes and Products' (2022-2023)
4. Secretary, Great Plain subsection of Minnesota section of Institute of Food Technologists
5. Organizer, International Association for Cereal Science and Technology Cereal and Bread Congress 2021, Vienna, Austria
6. Lincoln University representative at the Canterbury Chapter of New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) (2020-2021)
7. Lincoln University, Elected Health and Safety representative for AGLS (2020-2021)
8. Food technology expert for the Review of Achievement Standards, National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) (2019-2021)
9. Secretary, Pennsylvania State University Postdoctoral Society (2014-2015)
10. ADSA Graduate Student Division (GSD) Advisory Council - Dairy Foods Director (2014-2015)
11. Super user and reviewer executive committee IFT Dairy Food Division (2013-2014)
12. Graduate Student Division, Dairy Foods Director of the ADSA (2013-2014)

Service roles - South Dakota State University:

1. Coach of the SDSU Dairy Products Judging Team training for regional and national competitions (2023 onwards)
2. Advisor (July 2023 onwards) and co-advisor, SDSU Indian Students Association (2022-2023)
3. Advisor (Aug. 2023 onwards) and co-advisor (2022-2023), SDSU Dairy and Food Science Lab Safety Committee

Service - Academic Institutions:

1. Conducted workshops on overseas opportunities in dairy research and dairy research experience journey at institutions in India in summer 2023: National Dairy Research Institute Karnal (June 5-6), National Institute of Interdisciplinary Sciences Thiruvananthapuram (June 12), National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Thanjavur (July 4), Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Pookode (July 13).
2. Delivered up to 10 lectures and seminars and one two-day workshop at different colleges under Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India, as a part of the Brain Gain scheme (July to September 2022)
3. Lead in establishing Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) of Lincoln University with: (1) 2020 - Amity University, India for a 3+1 Bachelor of Science Program, where students will conduct their last year of study at Lincoln University; (2) Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) of Lincoln University with Amity University, India for a 3+1 Bachelor of Science Program, where students will conduct their last year of study at Lincoln University (2020).
4. Reviewer for Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) Round One 2019 proposal by Massey University, May 2019.
5. Organizer for International Dairy Federation  International Symposium On Cheese Science And Technology and Symposium On Concentration And Drying Technologies Of Dairy Products, April 2016, Dublin, Ireland.
6. Resource person, Cheese short course (Dec. 2014), specifically in cheese making labs for Cheddar, Feta and Ricotta cheeses, PSU.
7. Guest organizer and lecturer, USDA HEC grant: Applied food safety lab course III, (one credit special topic - NFS 492/592, 4 day summer workshop - July 2011), South Dakota State University.
8. Organizer: (1) SAFE 600 - practical sessions on rapid detection techniques used in the food safety analysis, summer workshop (2009), North Dakota State Univ., USA ; (2) USDA HEC grant: Introductory food safety lab course I (Aug. 2009) and Applied food safety lab course II (one credit special topic - NFS 492/592 - June 2010) four –day summer workshops, SDSU.

Current Graduate Advisees:

1. Ezgi Kocer (2024-present), Production of low cost galactooligosaccharides (GOS) from whey permeate streams.
2. Muhammad Shijas Vallikkadan (2023-present), Extraction and delivery of bioactive compounds from fruit waste pomace using milk proteins
3. Ifra Tun Nur (2023-present), Effect of GOS produced from Whey Permeate Using Enzyme and Yeast on gut microbiota.
4. Shafeeqa Irfan (2023-present), Impact of Nanobubble Carbonation on Milk Protein Ingredients in the Manufacture of Greek-Style Yogurt.
5. Ting Mao (2022-present), Interaction of milk proteins with polyphenols from fruit extracts.
6. Iresha Matiwalage (2021-present), Improving the bioavailability of polyphenols in red grape using milk proteins. (Lincoln University, New Zealand)
7. Subha Sasidharan (2020-present), Green Tea Polyphenols, interaction with milk proteins: Quantification and Applications. (Lincoln University, New Zealand)

Past Graduate Advisee:

1. Zhiguang Huang (2017-2020), Milk lipid complexation and interaction with food ingredients - Digestibility and absorption. (Role: associate Supervisor)
2. Akshit (2022-2024), Nanobubble Technology in dairy processing wastewater. (Role: Major advisor)

Visiting scholars/International Research Interns:

1. Ankit Dahiya (September to November 2023). Effect of milk protein interactions on the hydration and gelation properties of pea starch. NAHEP Program. B.Tech student. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
2. Aakash Deep (September to November 2023). Effect of milk protein interactions on the hydration and gelation properties of pea starch. NAHEP Program. B.Tech student. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
3. Dr. Sanjay Bharti (August to October 2023). Increase in flux rate with nanobubbles for ultrafiltration of whey. Assistant Professsor, UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan, Mathura, UP, India
4. Sonali Yadav (2020), Image analysis of confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) images for yogurt with different gelling agents, B.Tech student. National Institute of Technology Rourkela
5. V. Vartika (2019), Effect of whey protein addition on pasting, textural and thermal properties of pea starch. B.Tech student. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
6. Vijay Kumar (2019), Study of interactions of milk protein (Calcium caseinates) with pea starch. B.Tech student. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.

Examiner for thesis/dissertation:

1. Ph.D. RMIT Australia. (2024)
2. M.S. University College Cork Ireland (2024)
3. Ph.D. Victoria University Australia (2024)
4. Ph.D. University College Cork, Ireland (2023)
5. Ph.D. Victoria University, Australia (2023)
6. Ph.D. Auckland University of Technology, NZ (2022)
7. M.S. University of Otago, NZ (2020)
8. Ph.D. Massey University, NZ (2019)
9. M.S. Lincoln University, NZ (2019)

Undergraduate research advising: eight advisees (Lincoln University, NZ)
Graduate student independent study project advising: 12 advisees (Lincoln University, NZ)
Graduate research interns advising: eight advisees (Lincoln University, NZ)

Professional Memberships:

• American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) – Professional member until 2017, 2023 onwards
• American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) – 2023 onwards
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) – Professional member until 2017, 2023 onwards
• New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) – Lincoln University representative in Canterbury Chapter
• New Zealand Controlled Release Society (NZCRS) – Professional Member
• New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) – Professional Member
• American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) –Professional member until 2017
• Reviewer for ScienceDirect Food Bioscience journal, SAGE Food Science and Technology journal, Journal of Dairy Science, Food Bioscience and Food Science and Technology International, International Journal of Dairy Technology, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

Awards and Honors

1. SDSU Faculty Award for Global Engagement, International Education and Student Engagement 2024
2. American Dairy Science Association Foundation Scholar in Dairy Foods Award 2023
3. Brain Gain scheme fellowship by Kerala State higher Education Council, India in association with Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (2022).
4. Lincoln University (NZ) Teaching Excellence Award – Early Career (2019–2020)
5. Outstanding Volunteer Award, Institute of Food Technologists Dairy Foods Division (2013–2014)
6. First place Dairy Foods: Graduate student Oral presentation competition, ADSA meeting (2013–2014)
7. Edlong Dairy Flavors scholarship award in association with IFT (2012–2014)
8. Second place Midwest Regional, IFT Student Assoc. College Bowl competition, part of UT team (2011–2014)
9. International Dairy Foods Association IDFA/DREF Dairy Industry Graduate Scholarship award (2010-2013)

Grants

1. Specialty Crop Block grant: Creation of Value from Aronia Berry Processing and Harvest Waste (PI, $78,198, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources 2024-2026).
2. Understanding the interactions between model dairy effluent streams and nanobubbles (PI, $8,999, Midwest Dairy Food Research Institute 2024).
3. Production of low cost galactooligosaccharides (GOS) from whey permeate streams (PI, $86,900 MDFRC, 2024-25).
4. Proximate analysis, total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of Aronia based powder products (PI, $4,000, US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration - University Center for SD, 2023)
5. Reclaiming waste/byproducts from food processing for further food applications: sustainable processes and value addition (PI, $15,000 SDSU SPARC, 2023-2024)
6. Extraction and delivery of bioactive compounds from fruit waste pomace using milk proteins. (PI, $60,000 North Central Sun Grant, 2023-2024)
7. Nanobubble technology for dairy processing effluent treatment (PI, $59,695 USGS 104b SDWRI, 2022-2024).
8.  Joint Postgraduate School fellowships for PhD (PI and Co-PI for two funds, $296,000, 2020-2023 and 2021-2024)
9. Liposomal delivery systems made from milk phospholipids. (Co-PI, $139,168 Fund not availed, Massey – Lincoln and Agricultural Industry Trust: Capability Development and Research Fund, 2021-2022)
10. Equipment grant: Lincoln University Capital expenditure (capex) grant for Rheometer (Co-PI, $130,000, 2020)
11. Industry grant: Effect of Temperature on Textural and Sensory Properties of Butter (PI, $6,600 Westland Milk products, New Zealand, 2020-2021)
12. Industry grant: Dairy proteins as vehicles for polyphenols (PI, $29,000 Yili Oceania Dairy Ltd. New Zealand, 2019-2021)
13. Equipment grant: Lincoln University capex grant for Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (PI, $120,000, 2019)

Patents

1. ‘Foaming and emulsifying properties of high pressure jet processing pasteurized milk’. Inventors: F. Harte, M. Martinez, and M. S. Mohan. U.S. Patent US20160374359 A1. (Patent Application No. 15/185,296)
2. ‘Viscoelastic gelling agent’. V Chelikani, and M. S. Mohan. Patent number: 2020901266 (Australia). Patent status: Provisional patent. Filed date: 22 April 2020

Work Experience

1. 2022 - present - Endowed Alfred Chair Associate Professor in Dairy Manufacturing, South Dakota State University, Brookings.
2. 2022 - present - Adjunct senior lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand
3. 2018 – 2022 – Lecturer or assistant professor, Lincoln University, New Zealand
4. 2017 – 2018 – Research and development scientist, Glanbia Consumer Foods, Kilkenny, Ireland
5. 2016 – 2017 - Postdoctoral researcher, Teagasc – Irish Food and Agricultural Institute, Cork, Ireland
6. 2014 – 2015 - Postdoctoral researcher, Pennsylvania State University
7. 2011 – 2014 - Graduate research assistant, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
8. 2009 – 2011 – Graduate research assistant, South Dakota State University, Brookings
9. 2007 – 2008 – Technical superintendent, Products Dairy, Milma, ERCMPU, Kerala, India

Publications

As of August 2024:

• One patent and one provisional patent
• 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews
• 26 abstracts in Scientific Conferences and Symposia
• 14 Invited professional lectures, seminars and panel discussions
• Two books chapters
• Three scientific/ workshop manuals
• Four articles in professional magazines and podcast

List of Publications