My Vision For Grain Quality And Structure Research And Biographical Sketch

1. My Vision For Grain Quality And Structure Research And Biographical Sketch Sumana Chakrabarti Bell, Ph.D Presented at USDA, Manhattan, 1/10/08

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

3. Who is Sumana?Heritage & Family • Native of Calcutta, India • Early schooling in small town in India • One husband (pharmacist), two cats

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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

7. Prior Research Food & Dough: “Converting Art To Science” Defining “performance” using mechanics Converting learnings into practice Relating performance to structure – composition

8. Key Take Way “Plasticity is Key” • Dough changes with deformation • The rate of change determines end-use quality Optimal Undermixed

9. 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

10. 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)

11. 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

12. Grain QualityChallenges to Innovation • Yield • Grain health • Milling quality • Protein 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

13. 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 ”

14. 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 audiences

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Center of Excellence Innovate • 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”

19. 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?

20. 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

21. Managing Change Current 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!

22. Managing Change Special 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

23. Managing Change Things 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. The Ultimate Vision

28. The Ultimate Vision Put a Smile on their faces

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