Maria Marco, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis, USA. The goal of Maria’s research is to guide food production to benefit human health. Her research focuses on probiotics in foods, specifically lactic acid bacteria in food systems and the mammalian digestive tract, as well as fermented foods and prebiotics.
Dr. Marco has led numerous projects investigating probiotic Lactobacillus, emphasizing the impact of diet and delivery matrix on probiotic function. This research also explores how health can be improved by using fiber to modulate the structure and function of the gut microbiome.
Marco received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She worked as a postdoctoral candidate and subsequently as a scientist at NIZO food research, in the Netherlands. Dr. Marco initiated her laboratory at UC Davis in 2008, has over 80 publications in refereed journals and numerous patents, has received an American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer award and serves on numerous advisory and editorial boards.
“Microbiome research is expanding and developing to a point that will soon deliver new and improved, microbial-powered nutrition. Expansion of work on food microbiomes will lead to the development of tastier, healthier foods and beverages with expanded quality and safety characteristics as well as opportunities for precision nutrition to the human digestive tract”
This is a very interesting article that was first posted in June 2025, and due to its popularity the KHNI would like to draw your attention to this informative read. Over the past decade, the global prevalence of obesity has escalated to alarming levels, prompting significant public health concerns. In 2022, approximately 1 in 8… Read more »
This one-of-a-kind webinar brings together experts from academia, consumer education, and product development to talk about what the future will bring for the microbiome and how to navigate the changes it will bring.
Many people are familiar with probiotics and the health benefits they can have, like digestive health and immunity, but how do they actually work in the body to cause a health benefit? Some interact with other microorganisms in our microbiome, while others interact directly with the body’s organs.
This program qualifies for Certified Food Scientist (CFS) recertification contact hours (CH). CFS Certificants may claim a maximum of 1.0 CH for their participation in this program. For more information, please visit ift.org/certification or email ifscc@ift.org. Fermented foods have appeared on countless food and nutrition trends lists this year, seemingly rocketing to a top… Read more »
In a recent article on Nutrition Insight, our Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Maria Marco answers key questions about the future of digestive health, including: How can the microbiome space inform food product development? What are the key opportunities for the food industry in gut-health? How important is the nutritional aspect of fermented foods? Read… Read more »
Get monthly updates about our newest expert-created content, upcoming webinars, and more.
Subscribe
