Xiaohong Sun
Assistant Professor, Food Bioscience
Email: xiaohong.sun@dal.ca
Phone: 902-893-6351
Mailing Address:
Education:
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Ottawa, Canada
- Ph.D., Food Science and Technology, University of Alberta
- MEng, Cereals, Oils and Vegetable Protein Engineering, Jiangnan University
- BEng, Food Science and Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce
Research vision and interest
Dr. Sun’s research aims to apply innovative processing technologies for improvement of health benefits, nutritional quality, and functionality of food proteins, to add value to by-products from food, agriculture, and aquaculture, to develop new protein-based food products with healthy, sustainable, and sensory attributes, and to understand their underlying fundamental mechanisms.
Primary research interests include:
- Effects of food processing on the physicochemical, functional, nutritional, biological, structural, and sensory properties of food proteins
- Identification of novel food-derived bioactive peptides and elucidation of the underlying mechanism
- Modification of plant-based proteins for enhanced functionality by physical, chemical, and enzymatic approaches
- Development of novel plant-based food products as alternative protein sources
- Designing novel food macromolecule-based nanocarriers for encapsulation, protection, sustained release, and site-specific delivery of bioactive compounds
Teaching
- CHMA 2000 - Organic Chemistry I (Fall)
- CHMA 3011 - Fundamentals of Food Chemistry (Fall)
- AGRI 5740 - Advanced Studies in Food Chemistry (Winter)
- FOOD 3002 - Impact of Food on Health (Winter)
Major Sources of Research Funding and Awards
- Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) - JELF
- Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and FisheriesÂ
- NSERC- Discovery grants (2023-2028)
- Belong Research Fellowship, ±«Óãtv University (2023-2025)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Nutrition and Mental Health, University of Ottawa (2021)
- NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019)
International collaborations
Dr. Sun has a strong interest in interdisciplinary work and actively seeks opportunities for collaborative research.
Supervision
Dr. Sun’s lab is actively taking undergraduate honors students, visiting students/scholars, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Sun would like to support highly qualified candidates with an excellent academic background, a strong publication record, and demonstrated leadership abilities to pursue prestigious funding opportunities, such as
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, Killam Postdoctoral Fellowships, and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (Postdoctoral Fellow)
- The ±«Óãtv Harmonized Scholarship (Master and PhD)
Patents
1)Â Â Â Preparation of wheat germ protein hydrolysates and the application in prevention of Helicobacter pylori adhesion. China. 201910123922.4. 2019/02/19.
Patent Status: Granted/Issued
Year Issued: 2022
Inventors: Sun, X.H.; Zhang, S; Ren, J; Liu, X
2)Â Â Â Application of ovomucin hydrolysates in prevention of Helicobacter pylori adhesion. China.
201910121812.4. 2019/02/19.
Patent Status: Granted/Issued
Year Issued: 2022
Inventors: Sun, X.H.; Zhang, S; Ren, J; Liu, X
Memberships
- Editorial board member- Food Chemistry
- Editorial board member- Food Chemistry X
- Member of American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS)
- Member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
- Member of Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST)
- Editorial board member - Food Reviews International
Research facility/lab
Dr. Sun's lab is equipped with essential research infrastructure tailored for food protein research, such as
- Â Fume hood
- Thermocycler/DNA amplifier
- Rotary evaporator
- Fast protein liquid chromatography instrument (AKTA FPLC purifier)
- Multimode microplate reader
- 2-D electrophoresis kit
- Computer controlled titrator (Titrando)
- Ultrafiltration cells
- ChemiDoc XRS+ imaging unit
- Freeze dryer
- Benchtop centrifuge with cell culture package.
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