Former Biosciences postdoctoral researcher and chef Vayu Hill-Maini’s emerging work on Neurospora, a type of fungus, explores a revolutionary approach to addressing food waste through sustainable fermentation practices. Neurospora mold thrives on food waste such as leftover grains, oat milk pulp, and peanut oil pressings, turning them into edible, nutrient-rich food. This fungus, traditionally used in Indonesia to make a dish called oncom from soy pulp, is the focus of Hill-Maini’s recently published paper explores adapting it to transform food waste into new edible products. This work was conducted when Hill-Maini was postdoctoral fellow in Keasling Lab at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI).
Hill-Maini’s research brings cutting-edge laboratory science to the dinner table. He regularly collaborates with high-end restaurants like Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Tarrytown, NY) and Alchemist (Copenhagen, Denmark), integrating scientific discoveries with innovative culinary practices. Working with such industry leaders sets the stage for sustainable and delicious cuisine in a field that produces high-volume waste.
Courtesy of Vayu Hill-Maini, UC Berkeley
Hill-Maini recently joined the Bioengineering faculty at Stanford University as an Assistant Professor. His work will continue to focus on bridging the gap between scientific research and sustainable culinary innovation, offering new solutions to the food waste crisis.
Learn more in this article from UC Berkeley.
