Irene Maria Zingale

Research Area:

🌿Microbiology 🌿Food Technology 🌿Biology 🌿Molecular Biology 🌿Biotechnology

About the mobility grant visit

Hosting Institution: Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Department of food engineering

📍 Hosting Period: 01 October 2025 – 01 February 2026

🎯 Project Objectives

Assess nutraceutical potential of fermented OMWW and POC

Develop and evaluate functional food and beverage prototypes

Promote international collaboration in sustainable food biotechnology

🔬 Research Activities

Controlled fermentation of OMWW and POC with selected LAB and yeasts

Chemical, microbiological, and functional analysis (TPC, DPPH, HPLC, VOCs, qPCR)

Sensory evaluation of prototypes enriched with fermented bioactive extracts

🌍 Why This Institution? Chosen for

Strong expertise in food biotechnology, bioactive compounds & sustainability

Use of advanced tools: metagenomics, in vitro bioactivity assays

Ongoing collaboration through the international PRIMA–OLI4FOOD project (2023–2026)

✅ Expected Results & Impact

Creation of clean-label, health-promoting ingredients from organic olive by-products

Support for circular bioeconomy and low-impact innovation in the organic food sector

Contribution to sustainable, functional food development

Highlights from the stay

“Overall, this research experience was an extremely valuable and enriching phase of my doctoral studies. The opportunity to work in an international research environment, conduct fermentation studies and chemical analyses, and interact daily with experienced researchers significantly improved both my scientific skills and my professional growth. This period was not only highly productive from a research standpoint, but also personally rewarding, strengthening my scientific autonomy and critical thinking skills and allowing me to forge new professional connections, motivating me to pursue research,” Irene Maria Zingale.