Professor Seo Myung-ji, Hwang Chi-young, Lim Hyo-jung, and Lee Yo-seop graduate students

Three graduate students from Incheon National University (President Park Jong-tae) Graduate School of Life and Nanobioengineering won the Excellence Poster Award at the 2024 Korean Food Science Association International Conference and regular general meeting held at EXCO in Daegu from July 3-5.

The three graduate students from Incheon National University are Hwang Chi-young, Lim Hyo-jung, and Lee Yo-seop, who are conducting research in the microbial biotechnology lab under the guidance of Professor Seo Myung-ji, who won in the fields of Food Microbiology, Fermentation & Enzyme, respectively.

The theme announced by Hwang Chi-young (doctor's program) is 'Production of the care C30 carotenoid 4,4 ʹ-diaponeurosporene in Corynebacterium glutamicum for food application', suggesting the possibility of developing new antioxidant functional materials by producing natural but rare C30 carotenoids using Corynebacterium glutamicum strains that are widely used to mass-produce food materials.

"Functional rolls of aminotransferase gabT1 and phosphatase yktC1 of 1-deoxynojirimycin biosynthsis in Bacillus velezensis MBLB0692" announced by Lim Hyo-jung (doctor's program) is a study that identifies the function of key enzymes involved in the microbiological biosynthesis of 1-deoxynogirimycin, which has the effect of suppressing blood sugar rise, and is significant in that it provided information on useful genetic resources for future microbiological mass production of antidiabetic functional materials.

Student Lee Yo-seop (Master's and Doctor's Integration Course) presented under the theme of Metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum production C40 carotenoid canthaxanthin for potential food and feed industries to confirm the microbiological production of cantaxanthin, a C40 carotenoid used as an animal feed additive, through redesigning the Corynebacterium glutamicum strain.

Professor Seo Myung-ji, an advisor, said, "I think the efforts of students who have been working hard on research have been recognized," adding, "So far, the microbial biotechnology lab has won a number of excellent poster awards and oral presentation awards at academic conferences related to microorganisms and food, proving the excellence of the lab."

Professor Seo also said, "We will make more efforts to contribute to the development of science and technology in the white bio field by actively utilizing useful microorganisms and genetic resources for the development and commercialization of eco-friendly and sustainable advanced bio food and cosmetic materials."

Meanwhile, the Korea Food Science Association is the largest conference in Korea in the field of food science and technology, and the 2024 Korea Food Science Association International Conference and regular general meeting held 1,132 academic poster presentations under the theme of Quantum Leap in Value-Creating Technology for Future Meta-Food Science, of which 60 posters were selected as excellent posters.