Dr. Gulustan Ozturk’s research at UW-Madison focuses on bioactive compounds found in milk and dairy streams. Her main goal is to isolate these compounds using advanced processing methods to develop microbiome-centered interventions for improving human health, with potential applications in personalized nutrition and precision treatments. This work supports sustainability by adding value to dairy coproducts and streams, such as utilizing whey protein phospholipid concentrate which is a byproduct of whey processing, contributing to economic, environmental, and social sustainability as part of the Dairy Innovation Hub’s mission.
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Cows, Crops, and Climate: Rebecca Smith’s Research on Sustainable Forage Crops and Plant-based Biofuels
Dr. Rebecca Smith’s research focuses on making forage crops, which are crops grown to feed animals, more sustainable by reducing methane emissions and improving plant traits, like digestibility. This is done by altering the lignin within the plant cell wall. The altered lignin increases nutrient availability and potentially reduces the time required for cow digestion. Dr. Smith hopes that her work will benefit the scientific community and improve the quality of forage crops and plant-based biofuels to make agriculture more sustainable.
UW’s Zero Waste Compass: Your Guide to Sustainable Disposal on Campus
Have you ever had questions like “Does plastic cutlery go in the recycling?” or “Are greasy pizza boxes recyclable?” So have we. That’s why we created the Zero Waste Compass — a tool to help …
A Sustainable Alternative to Synthetic Fertilizer with Jean-Michel Ané
As the environmental costs of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer grows, Dr. Jean-Michel Ané’s research group is developing sustainable alternatives by engineering partnerships between crops and nitrogen-fixing microbes that colonize the roots. While early efforts focused on modifying bacteria to release more nitrogen, the team found a breakthrough in maize from Southern Mexico that naturally fosters microbial nitrogen fixation through a root secreted mucilage. By exploring these interactions from both the microbial and plant side, the lab hopes to develop methods to enhance this partnership and introduce it to other cropping systems.
Cultivating Resilience: How Chris Kucharik is Transforming Agriculture Amid Climate Change
Chris Kucharik’s lab investigates the dynamic interactions between climate change and land management through fieldwork and ecosystem modeling, focusing on ecosystem services like crop production, water quantity and quality, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation. His research highlights the anticipated stress on agricultural systems due to climate change, which reduces crop yields and harms both farmers and consumers. Dr. Kucharik aims to inform policymakers and develop regulations to support farmers in mitigating climate impacts on their own and surrounding land.
From Coffee Cherries to Aronia Berries: How Food Science Professor Brad Bolling is Rethinking Food
Brad Bolling works to increase access to healthy, nutrient-dense foods to minimize costly chronic diseases. He uses a holistic approach, participating in the entire life cycle of his research; he measures the nutrients and bioactive compounds in foods, assesses their nutritional content and health impacts, then collaborates with food producers and consumers to grow support for foods that will be sustainable sources of nutrition for Wisconsin. His work promotes practices that reduce waste, support biodiversity, and prevent diet-related diseases to address systemic inefficiencies in food production and healthcare.
Forward? Field Notes from the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
The growing season is an exercise in controlled chaos. There is too much to do and so much to learn, and decisions must be made about where to put effort when it’s all happening everywhere …
The Greening of UW–Madison
An Office of Sustainability program supports student-initiated environmental projects. By Abigail Bures x’27
When it comes to sustainability, UW–Madison earns STARS Gold
Fight food waste with Free Food Alert
In a world in which college students are always on the lookout for a good (and free) meal, Free Food Alert has become the ultimate campus hack. Imagine you’re walking across campus, trying to decide …