Department Resources | BFTV Cluster News

Department Seminar Series - FST 290, Sept. 29, 2021

You are invited to attend the Department of Food Science and Technology seminar on Wednesday Sept. 29th at 4:10 PM by Zoom. This fall, the Food Science department seminars will be presented by our own department researchers.

Phaff Yeast Culture Collection grows by 6,000 strains - new NSF Award

Food Science and Technology

Dr. Kyria Boundy-Mills, curator of the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection in the Food Science and Technology department at UC Davis, received an award of $579,246 from the National Science Foundation. This will fund the transfer of professor emeritus and yeast taxonomist Dr. Marc-André Lachance’s collection of 6,000 yeast strains from the University of Western Ontario to UC Davis, expanding the Phaff collection catalog by over 50%.

Department Seminar Series - FST 290, Sept. 22, 2021

Food Science and Technology

Please join us on Wednesday, September 22nd at 4:10 pm for the first FST Department Seminar Series for Fall 2021 / Seminar FST290. This fall, the Food Science department seminars will be presented by our own department researchers.

Welcome to New FST Chair Chris Simmons

Food Science and Technology

Please join our department in welcoming our new Chair, Christopher Simmons. Chris is a Professor who joined Food Science and Technology in 2013. He earned his Ph.D. (as well as his B.S. and M.S.) in Biological Systems Engineering, UC Davis. After earning his Ph.D. in 2011, he was a postdoc at the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville for two years.

Andrea Aguilar receives professional human resources certification

BFTV Cluster

Two members of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Distributed Shared Services Center (DiSSC) have received certifications from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) - human resources managers Andrea Aguilar (from our BFTV Cluster) and Leslie Jones.

Virtual Department Seminar Series, Spring 2021

Food Science and Technology

Here is the schedule of Food Science and Technology weekly department seminars for the remainder of the Spring 2021 quarter. (Please email Zann Gates at zgates@ucdavis.edu to get the Zoom link if you don't already receive it via internal communication channels.) All presentations are at 4:10 pm - 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

‘There will still be people, just not that many’

Viticulture and Enology

In the vineyards of the future, “There will still be people, just not that many,” says Kaan Kurtural, viticulturist/enologist at the University of California, Davis.

Colossal Cabernet trial under the California sun

Viticulture and Enology

A huge Cabernet trial is underway in California, encompassing 100 clone/rootstock combinations and covering 3.5 acres. Researchers designed it to help identify genetic variations that impart a greater resilience to climate change — notably, improved drought tolerance that will enable more effective and sustainable water-use practices while also producing high-quality fruit and wine.

Vineyard Mechanization: Quality at a Distance

Viticulture and Enology

Using more mechanization in a vineyard -- beyond just mechanical harvesting -- can reduce labor costs without negatively affecting grape quality, according to a presentation Wednesday at the Vineyard Economics Symposium. It might even make the grapes better.

Safe Transfer of High-Proof Ethanol Using Pumps

Viticulture and Enology

High-proof (e.g. 70%) ethanol can be an effective sanitizing agent against the coronavirus causing COVID-19. Spraying of small winery surfaces or equipment for sanitization with this solution is not problematic, especially in a well-ventilated area. However, pumping high proof ethanol (for the purpose of creating sanitizing solution or sanitizing large pieces of equipment) using a normal winery pump could be hugely dangerous (explosion hazard) and should be avoided.