November 4, 2008
FSHN welcomes back Buddhi Lamsal to faculty
After two years at KSU, Lamsal says he's glad to be back
Buddhi Lamsal, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition |
By
Laura Dillavou
The College of Human Sciences is pleased to welcome back Buddhi Lamsal as an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition. Lamsal, who spent two years at Iowa State as a post-doctoral research assistant in the food sciences area, recently returned to campus after working for two years at Kansas State University.
Lamsal’s research focuses on food processing technologies, specifically looking at protein functions within grains such as soybeans and corn. He said his early work with ISU professors is what initially sparked his interest in processing technologies. At Kansas State, he was part of the research faculty, working in the grain science and industry department and developing new ways to add value to grain milling process and co-products, such as wheat bran.
When the opportunity arose to come back to Iowa State, Lamsal was excited about the many prospects that came with the job. In addition to returning to a strong department with progressive research track record, Lamsal was eager to collaborate with other faculty to expand his research interests.
“[When I was here] earlier, I didn’t have much interaction with the nutrition faculty,” Lamsal said. “But now, I find myself looking around and thinking what a wonderful faculty for nutrition we have. James Hollis, a new faculty member in nutrition, and I have talked about bringing our research interests together to study anti-obesity properties of soybean proteins. It’s appealing to be in a place where food science and nutrition faculty are under one roof.”
Lamsal said continuous research on proteins has allowed scholars to better understand beneficial properties of various grain proteins, which may help in the prevention of cancer, hypertension, immune-modulation and obesity. In addition to research projects that will benefit humans, Lamsal said he is also interested in finding new ways to use ethanol co-products in animal feed.
“The ethanol process only uses starch from corn,” Lamsal said. “All other fibers, protein, and oil are left behind. Another research interest is enriching these leftovers, or co-products, with protein and/or sugar. [Through processes,] that protein-rich extraction could go into animal feed for a high-energy-type of supplement. It adds value to low-value products in the agri-systems industry.”
With ambitions to collaborate with his faculty counterparts, Lamsal is utilizing resources such as the College of Human Sciences seed grant fund to start new research. He also hopes to apply for a grant from the National Research Initiative (NRI) to further explore the possible protection of beneficial bacteria provided by highly fibrous foods as they move through the digestive tract.
“In the long run, research [in this area] would be beneficial to the health of many – to design prevention strategies for obesity or any other disease,” Lamsal said. “In general, if we can make the food safer or more beneficial, that really helps people and improves their lives, and that’s how I see my research fitting in with the College of Human Sciences and Iowa State. It’s good to be back here.”
