Representatives from RYAM, Dr. Larissa Fenn (Director, New Products; fourth from left) and Dr. Priyanka Bhattacharya (Principal Scientist; third from left), visited the Center for Renewable Carbon on July 25-26.  RYAM is partnering with Professor Niki Labbé’s lab on a new program supported by both RYAM and USDA to explore the sustainable utilization of hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass as potential prebiotics to improve the health of poultry.  Also pictured, L-R: Drs. Niki Labbé, Anamika Missra, Kala Rajan, Doris D’Souza, and Jun Lin.

Among other events, the visit included project updates, touring CRC laboratories, animal facilities, and the UT Institute for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing (IAMM). A highlight of the visit was an ice cream social to celebrate the completion of the second year of the Rooted in Science course, with a viewing of students’ completed videos. This year, Rooted in Science is the outreach component of the integrated project funded by USDA and led by Dr. Labbé. The course, taught by Dr. Carole Myers (Professor Emerita, College of Nursing) and Dr. Mark Littmann (Chancellor Professor, School of Journalism & Media), is designed to train graduate students in science communication skills in order to convey the story of their research effectively to the general public.