Bhimanagouda Patil

My teaching focusses on linking and food and health.  Developed three unique and multidisciplinary courses,

1) Science of foods for health;

2) The nexus of food & nutritional security, hunger and sustainability;

3) Phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables to improve human health.

Courses emphasize the connections between fruits, vegetables, food and their health-promoting properties and provide information based on evolving science.

Staff and student support

Adhikari,Jayashan , Majithia, Drishti, and Ravindranath,Varsha

Research Focus

Research focusses on ‘Foods for Health’ through farm-to-table approaches include examining pre- and postharvest effects on bioactive compounds, isolating and characterizing these compounds from different fruits and vegetables, as well as understanding their roles in human health. Specific projects involve 1) development of a novel green (i.e. limiting the use of toxic chemicals) technology for isolation and purification novel bioactive compounds2) using mechanistic studies of cellular and animal models to provide proof of concept that bioactives reduce risk from prostate, breast, pancreatic, and colon cancer; 3) showing that a structural motif in nomilin from citrus fruits is essential for its inhibition of a cancer-promoting factor; 4) finding that citrus flavonoids and limonoids suppress bacterial cell-cell signaling, biofilm formation, and type III secretion; 5) development of a green nanoparticle synthesis method and showing that these nanoparticles enhanced onion quality.  His close working relationship with the produce industry is a model for faculty in a land grant university, and the Texas produce industry has targeted plenty of their marketing efforts around the “foods for health” banner.