Research Background:

As an undergraduate researcher, Annika’s research involved characterizing the optimal harvest date of Aronia mitschurinii berries, based on polyphenol and Brix content. She also worked on the encapsulation of polyphenols to improve their digestibility.

Current Research:

Annika’s current research involves using new techniques to convert low quality proteins into high quality proteins. In collaboration with Dr. Xingen Lei, she is working to express proteins in novel fungi system to aid in the release of value added products. Specifically, she is working to express active peptides from lactoferrin to aid in Fe-absorption, and to enhance the thermostability of the expressed lactoferrin peptides through encapsulation. Along with this, she is working to express enzymes that release value added proteins from microalgae, as a novel functional food alternative.