PhD student Eric Stevens was selected to receive a 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship. His application was selected out of over 12,000 applicants across the US. Eric’s research focuses on the metabolic capabilities of lactic acid bacteria.

He writes about his research:

“Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a genetically diverse group of microorganisms that have been traditionally used for fermenting a variety of foods and beverages. Even though LAB have long been investigated for their unique metabolic capabilities, fundamental aspects of this bacteria remain to be elucidated. With this NSF award, I will explore novel metabolic pathways of LAB and related food associated bacteria. Outcomes of this work are expected to result in improvements to starter culture production, food fermentation processes, and other industrial and medical applications of LAB.”

Congratulations Eric!