Research

How Artificial Intelligence May Improve Food Safety

Artificial intelligence could be a valuable tool for the future of food safety. New research out of UC Davis finds that a technique using AI and optical imaging can quickly and accurately identify bacteria in food, making it a promising approach for preventing foodborne outbreaks and illnesses.

Innovating for our future

Coffee roasting is a crucial step in manufacturing and selling coffee. However, the exact chemical and kinetic changes that occur to coffee beans during the process are still relatively unclear.

New Smart Technology Developed by UC Davis Professor May Help in Early Detection of Insects in Food and Agricultural Products

Post-harvest losses are common in the global food and agricultural industry. Research shows that storage grain pests can cause serious post-harvest losses, almost 9% in developed countries to 20% or more in developing countries. To address this problem, Zhongli Pan, an adjunct professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, has developed a potential solution.

Strawberry Harvesters Get Some Help from New Robot Coworkers

Strawberry season may be getting streamlined thanks to new robot coworkers developed at UC Davis.   Using an innovative prediction and scheduling system, Fragile cRop hArvest-aIding mobiLe robots, or FRAIL-bots, track the picking process of each worker so when they’re finished filling a tray with strawberries, a FRAIL-bot is already nearby to take it back to the collection station for them. 

Four College of Engineering Projects Receive CITRIS Seed Awards

Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California (UC) recently announced the 2022 CITRIS Seed Awards recipients. The eight selected proposals, submitted by multicampus teams from Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Cruz, will receive up to $60,000 for their work, thanks in part to external philanthropic support. 

Cleaning Leafy Greens is Getting Easier Thanks to Research at UC Davis

It starts with the crunchy, crisp bites found only in the fresh leaves of iceberg lettuce. As employees in the local cafe clock in late after missing their alarm, they start their shift first counting the money in the till. That is, until their coworker comes bustling out the back doors, imploring them for help with food preparation.

NIOSH Renews Funding for the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

The Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis was renewed for five years by the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety. The center is led by Biological and Agricultural Engineering Professor and Chair Fadi Fathallah and includes funding for research from Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension Farzaneh Khorsandi.

How to Properly Store Grapes So They Last

For the very best tips on how to choose, wash, and store grapes for maximum freshness and shelf-life, we turned to the faculty at UC Davis’ PostHarvest Technology Center, including Irwin Donis-González, assistant professor of cooperative extension in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

Isaya Kisekka and Alireza Pourreza Talk Irrigation Technology on CNBC

CNBC spoke with several companies and experts who are working to reduce water waste in agriculture and help sustain food production in a future where extreme climate will be more common, including Biological and Agricultural Engineering faculty Isaya Kisekka and Alireza Pourreza.