Functional Carbohydrates

Jian Chen, PhD, is a professor of food biotechnology at Jiangnan University. Professor Chen got his PhD from Jiangnan University (former Wuxi University of Light Industry) in 1990. His research interests include stress tolerance and the response of food microorganisms, the production of food additives by biotechnology, and food safety issues in fermented foods. Using lactic bacteria and yeast as models, he investigated the roles of key genes and antioxidants on tolerance and response of food microorganisms to cold, acidic, oxidative and osmotic stresses. He has successfully achieved the industrial scale production of more than 30 different food additives by metabolic engineering and process optimization. He also screened and improved a series of food enzymes, which have been widely applied in juice processing and bakery areas. He is working on mechanisms inside the accumulation of nitrogen-containing small molecule harmful components during the production of fermented foods, such as ethylcarbamate and bioamines. Dr. Chen has published over 300 research articles and 16 invited reviews. He currently serves on the board of editors for eight peer review journals, including the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and Process Biochemistry. Professor Chen was named as a fellow of the International Academy of Food Science & Technology (IA FoST) 2012.