The Lactic Acid Bacteria Industrial Platform (LABIP) has awarded Professor Maria Marco, Ph.D., of the University of California, Davis, the prestigious LABIP Award at the 15th Annual Symposium for Lactic Acid Bacteria.
The LABIP Award recognizes scientists who demonstrate "Outstanding Excellence in Lactic Acid Bacteria Research with Industrial Relevance". The selection committee evaluates candidates based on scientific rigor, breakthrough contributions to the field of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and the practical applicability of their research to food production, agriculture, or human health industries. The award was announced at the International Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria, a meeting that is held every three years to bring together leading academic and industry experts from across the globe to highlight advancements in LAB.
Dr. Marco, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, was recognized for her extensive contributions to understanding the ecology, genetics, and health benefits of LAB. Dr. Marco’s foundational work on LAB began during her postdoctoral research at Wageningen University and NIZO Food Research in the Netherlands, where she led early studies showing that probiotic bacteria are metabolically active in the intestine and responsive to diet. She has continued this trajectory since establishing her lab at UC Davis in 2008.
Her research lab focuses on the intersection of food and gut microbiomes.
Key aspects of Dr. Marco’s background and scientific body of work that contributed to her receiving the award include:
- Research in Food and Gut Microbiomes: Dr. Marco has built an internationally recognized research program exploring how microorganisms respond to their local environment in foods and the mammalian digestive tract. Her work spans genetic analyses of probiotic strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus casei to understand intestinal persistence and host interactions. Other studies have led to investigations on how health benefits from dietary fibers are relayed through the gut microbiome. Exploration of the diet-pathogen-microbiome interface in animals like dairy cows and pigs has led Dr. Marco and her group to show how LAB are important contributors to health well beyond throughout the life span.
- Industrial & Applied Applications: Her lab actively investigates the genetic diversity, functional attributes, and community interactions of LAB to improve plant and dairy food fermentation. Activities in the lab’s EATLAC project are centered on developing recipes cabbage, berry, and pepper fermentations that can support both home fermenters and food processors alike. Other research explores improved approaches to guide food fermentations based on LAB metabolism and starter culture selection. These insights provide support for food processors and the functional food sector.
- Leadership in Probiotic & Gut Health Science: Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Marco serves as President of the Board of Directors for the International Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). With ISAPP, she has led landmark publications establishing consensus definitions around fermented foods and gut health. Dr. Marco is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and serves on numerous international scientific advisory boards.
"This award highlights the vital role lactic acid bacteria play not only in fundamental microbiome science, but also in transforming food production and functional health applications," said Dr. Marco.