Blueberry research builds connections between UMaine, University of Milan

Twitter
Facebook

 Email This Post
Reddit
Digg

Tell us what you think!
Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.

Blueberries are building bridges between Orono and Milan, Italy.

Urged by Maine First Lady Karen Baldacci, Vivian Wu, assistant professor of food microbiology, and Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition, have developed a cooperative relationship between the University of Maine and the University of Milan.

Baldacci visited the University of Milan’s Department of Food and Microbiological Sciences and Technology, or DiSTAM, in order to help foster trade on behalf of Gov. Baldacci. When she returned, she requested that the University of Maine join their blueberry research with that of DiSTAM.

Every year, 60,000 acres of wild blueberries grow in Maine, a crop valued at $75 million according to the Wild Blueberry Extension Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

In September 2005, the University of Maine’s Office of the Vice President for Research funded a trip to Milan for Wu and Klimis-Zacas. They spent five days there touring the facilities and sharing research.

Klimis-Zacas said that as they compared their research with that of DiSTAM, “We found some common areas.”

Klimis-Zacas’ research studies the bio-chemical and bio-physical effect of antioxidants found in blueberries.

“Blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants,” she said.

Currently, she is focusing on how blueberries affect the constriction of blood vessels, and ultimately how they affect blood pressure.

High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. In 2002, high blood pressure killed 49,707 Americans, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Wu’s research includes methods to detect and remove anti-microbial pesticides from the surface of the blueberries.

“We are trying to develop methods that are simple and not very expensive so they can be used by Maine Industry,” Wu said.

Wu said she also hopes to use DiSTAM’s nanotechnology to detect and control food-borne pathogens.

Both professors are happy to be part of the collaboration.

“It expands your horizons. When you have more people working on something you can answer questions more fully,” said Klimis-Zacas.

Both professors also hope to return to Milan. Wu is planning to visit this summer or late this year to take part in ongoing research at DiSTAM. Klimis-Zacas hopes to spend her upcoming sabbatical in Milan.

Wu said that the University of Milan is interested in all kinds of education exchange, including sending some of their students to study abroad in Maine for a summer or a semester.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 13th, 2006, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.