My Vision For Grain Quality And Structure Research And

Biographical Sketch

Sumana Chakrabarti Bell, Ph.DPresented at USDA, Manhattan, 1/10/08

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Outline

• Sumana’s Biographical Sketch• Grain Quality Research – Background• Vision • Strategies • Managing Change• Management philosophy• Summary

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Who is Sumana?Heritage & Family

• Native of Calcutta, India• Early schooling in small town in India

• One husband (pharmacist), two cats04/22/23 3

Education and Career• Ph.D., Polymer Physical Chemistry, University of

Minnesota, USA• M.Sc., Physical Chemistry, Calcutta, India

• Program leader, Fracture Fluid Rheology (British Petroleum in UK, Schlumberger in USA, France)

• Program leader, food and dough rheology (Kraft, Chicago and General Mills, Minneapolis)

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Prior Research • Ph.D: Gelation of rigid rod polymers by spinodal decomposition of phase separation

• Strength of physical gels = f (mechanism of gel formation)

• Oil-field: Rheology control of fracture fluids

• Fluids carry proppant• Create filter cake to prevent fluid leak-off• Lose viscosity at the end• Clean break-up

Key Take Away: Oil-Field Research “ Flow affects cross-link density of chemical gels”

In Waring blender, brittle gel In porous media, ropy fluid

Insights applied in developing continuous processing of yogurt

Prior Research

• Defining “performance” using mechanics• Converting learnings into practice• Relating performance to structure – composition

Food & Dough: “Converting Art To Science”

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Key Take Way “Plasticity is Key”

• Dough changes with deformation• The rate of change determines end-use quality

Undermixed

Optimal

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Grain QualityChallenges to The US Farmers

“ In farming, everybody makes money except the farmer”

…….… Michael Pollen, The Omnivore’s Dilemma

• Excessive emphasis on processed foods and industrialization have decimated self-sustaining farms

• Soil quality threatened from excessive farming

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Grain QualityChallenges to The US Farmers

• US is the largest exporter of wheat• Faces competition from abroad (Canada, Australia)• Competition claims superior consistency & quality

• Effects of global warming on yield and quality are un-certain

• Consumers want more value in foods (convenience, health, nutrition)

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Grain Quality Opportunities

• Globalization = localization• More markets open to farmers

– Energy producers , Pharmaceuticals• Demand for whole grain products is on the rise• Market wants new products (health additives, processing

aids, shelf-life quality aids) • Tremendous advances in technology that could be used

to facilitate grain quality inspection

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Grain QualityChallenges to Innovation

Yield Grain healthMilling qualityProtein quantity X Protein quality X End-use quality

Need to have the know-how to relate all quality attributes with structure and composition for faster success

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Vision for Grain Quality Research

“ We want to empower USDA and thus, US farmers, with options for attaining sustainable competitive advantages, by adding value to existing applications , by leading innovations and by growing and supplying grains that are differentiated from competition on the basis of superior functionality and quality, in the current climate of global competition ”

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Strategies• Develop a center of excellence in grain quality analysis

that’s effective in developing new technologies and in implementing current strategies of USDA

• Transfer research results into production and commercially usable strategies for U.S. farmers to serve the food and non-food sectors of pharmaceuticals and energy

• Introduce educational programs for the customers and participants – technical and non-technical audiences04/22/23 14

Center of Excellence in Grain Quality

“ Disappointing progress in dough rheology, (handicaps research impact on agronomy)” ….. Don Kasarda (USDA), Gluten Workshop, 2006

• Follow Ed Bagley’s footsteps and make USDA again the leader in fundamentals of grain processing

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Center of Excellence in Grain Quality• Build a state-of- the- art laboratory that’s capable of

utilizing structure – end-use performance of grains to add value to grain production

• Predictive methodology for processing operations• Instrumentation to test the physics as well as the

chemistry• Capability for small scale simulation of novel

processes to test research hypotheses

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Center of Excellence in Grain Quality Make structure – material science impactful

• Add “processability and consistent performance” to the list of quality attributes

• Explore the non-linear relationships in converting grains to products and develop novel products and processes

• Develop predictive technologies to assess quality – for farmers, for processors and for crop-breeders

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Center of ExcellenceInnovate• Develop value added grains (wheat, sorghum, rice) and

additives– Easy milling wheat without compromising end-use quality– Processing aids– Sorghum flour for bread-making?– Pharmaceuticals , Oil-field chemicals, Bio-degradable plastics

• Develop easy to use tools and methods to monitor “quality”

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Center of Excellence in Grain Quality Innovate • Collaborate with DOE funded bio-fuel research centers to

utilize external R&D facilities and expertise – Develop more efficient processes and materials for

generation of bio-fuels– Enzo-rheology is critical to rate of production of

Ethanol

• Collaborate with pharmaceutical R&D organizations to develop novel applications of grain-based materials– Hydrogels?

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Implementation Of Research Into Practice

• Collaborate with industries and USDA partners from the start to ensure “buy-in” from customers

• Patent technology as and when appropriate• Build credibility

– Publish– Hold training classes – Consult for industries

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Managing ChangeCurrent Research Environment• Distrust for fundamental research• Lack of funding • Shifts in “business priorities”

• More focus on shorter term research by industry

Sign of Hope“Break-through technologies” are in demand

US industries are not doing it!

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Managing ChangeSpecial Challenges To Grain Scientists • Industrialized food production systems demand

linearized processes– consistency, predictability, interchangeability and economies

of scale

• But, agronomy is not linear • Grain based products (wheat flour dough, in particular)

are also non-linear in behavior• Manage non-linear materials for “linear” expectations

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Managing ChangeThings to do• Encourage scientist to develop collaborative programs

with food and bio-fuel industries• Seek corporate funding• Undertake shorter term research • Maintain USDA tradition and initiate “change”• Have small successes --- frequently

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

Management Philosophy

“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

…………..Chinese proverb

• Filament stretching device• ALE training course

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Management Principles• Lead by vision and empowerment• Team-work: always value and incorporate team-

inputs—preserve the best• Focus on objectives and encourage individuals to

realize their full potential• Grow effective scientists and engineers• Be challenged • Celebrate success and have fun

What Can I Bring To This Center• Industrial leadership and practical management

philosophies• Practical, industrial knowledge with American and

European corporate experience• Building teams across the nation among corporations,

academia, and government• Multi-disciplinary and multinational approaches to

solve scientific challenges• Proven consultancy-based contacts with major

industries• Unique knowledge from food rheology research

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The Ultimate Vision

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The Ultimate Vision

Put a Smile on their faces

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