Shijun Yu | Food Science | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Shijun Yu | Food Science | Best Researcher Award

Dean at Chuzhou University, China

Dr. Shijun Yu is an Associate Professor and Engineer at the School of Biological and Food Engineering, Chuzhou University, where he also serves as Director of the Department of Food Safety. With a Ph.D. in Microbiology and over a decade of experience in food science research and education, he specializes in natural productsโ€”especially edible and medicinal fungiโ€”as well as food nutrition and safety. Dr. Yu is recognized as a High-Level Talent in Chuzhou City and holds several distinguished titles, including Deputy General of Science and Technology in Anhui Province and Young โ€œLangya Scholarโ€ of Chuzhou University. He has led over 20 significant research and teaching projects and has published more than 20 academic papers, contributing actively to food science innovation and education reform.

Publications Profile

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๐ŸŽ“ Education Details

  • 2003.9โ€“2007.6: B.Sc. in Biological Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University

  • 2007.9โ€“2012.6: Ph.D. in Microbiology, Anhui Agricultural University

๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ”ฌ Professional Experience

  • 2012.7โ€“2013.5: Assistant Director, Health Food R&D Center, Shanghai Panya Life Technology Co., Ltd.

  • 2013.6โ€“2014.7: Director, Production Department (Cordyceps and Cordyceps Wine), Zhejiang Panya Biomedical Co., Ltd.

  • 2014.7โ€“2019.4: Lecturer, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Chuzhou University

  • 2019.5โ€“Present: Associate Professor and Director, Department of Food Safety, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Chuzhou University

๐ŸŒฑ Research Interests

  • Development and application of natural products, particularly edible and medicinal fungi such as Cordyceps cicadae and Chuju

  • Food nutrition and safety

  • Food biochemistry, microbiology, and instrumental analysis

  • Quality control, fingerprinting, and chemometrics for origin tracing of food products

  • Integration of traditional food research with modern analytical methods and teaching innovation

๐Ÿ† Awards and Honors

  • Second Prize, Scientific and Technological Award, China National Food Industry Association

  • Third Prize, Excellent Academic Paper in Natural Sciences, Anhui Province (8th Edition)

  • Second Prize, โ€œSuper Star Cupโ€ Smart Classroom Teaching Innovation Competition, Anhui Province

  • First Prize, Teacher Practice Skills Competition, Chuzhou University

  • Third Prize, Anhui Provincial Teaching Achievement Award

  • First & Second Prizes, Chuzhou University Teaching Achievement Awards (twice each)

  • Outstanding Thesis Supervisor, Chuzhou University (2018โ€“2023)

  • Outstanding Communist Party Member, Chuzhou University (2016, 2021)

  • Advanced Individual in Informatization Construction, Chuzhou University (2020)

  • Numerous other awards in teaching, mentorship, and educational reform initiatives

๐Ÿ” Conclusion

Dr. Shijun Yu is a dedicated educator, prolific researcher, and innovator in food science, whose work bridges academic excellence and practical application. His leadership in both research and teaching reform has not only advanced scientific understanding in areas like fungal bioactives and food safety but also enriched student learning through innovative teaching strategies. With a growing list of accolades and contributions, he continues to be a pivotal figure in the regional and national food science community.

Publications ๐Ÿ“š

๐Ÿ“˜ 1. Shijun Yu, Longzhu Dou, Ruizhu Xu, Ruibo Xu, Xiaoli Jia, Jingyi Xia, Huan Wang*, Qing Huang*.
Integration of multielement profiles and chemometrics for geographical discrimination of Chuju, a cultivar of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat
๐Ÿ“• Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2025, 139(3): 107088.


๐Ÿ“˜ 2. Dou Longzhu, Xia Jingyi, Wang Yang, Zhang Tengfei, Wang Lili, Chai Xinyi*, Yu Shijun*.
Effect of selenium enrichment on the abundance of volatile and nonvolatile flavor components in fruiting bodies of Cordyceps cicadae
๐Ÿ“• International Food Research Journal, 2025, 32(1): 264โ€“279.


๐Ÿ“˜ 3. Ruibo Xu, Lingling Wang, Chi Wang, Changfeng Ju, Chuan Yang, Xiaoli Jia, Gang Wang, Shijun Yu*.
Preparation, characterization, biological activity of โ€˜Chujuโ€™ polysaccharides/chitosan and its application on the preservation of red grapes fruit
๐Ÿ“• International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025, 301: 140461.


๐Ÿ“˜ 4. Wang Xuhui, He Zhen, Zhang Weiwei, Liu Xiaoran, Yu Shijun*, Qian Zongyao*.
The influence of planting sites on the chemical compositions of Chrysanthemum morifolium flowers (Chuju) as revealed by Py-GC/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis
๐Ÿ“• Chemistry & Biodiversity, 2024, 21(12): 202401383.


๐Ÿ“˜ 5. Yu Shijun, Zhang Ying, Fan Meizhen.
Analysis of volatile compounds of mycelia of Hirsutella sinensis, the anamorph of Ophiocordyceps sinensis
๐Ÿ“• Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2012, 140: 253โ€“257.


๐Ÿ“˜ 6. Yu Shijun, Zhang Ying, Li Chunru, Zhang Qian, Ma Zhongyou, Fan Meizhen.
Optimization of ultrasonic extraction of mycelial polysaccharides from Paecilomyces hepiali using response surface methodology and its antioxidant activity
๐Ÿ“• African Journal of Biotechnology, 2011, 10(75): 17241โ€“17250.


Kayise Maseko | Cellular agriculture | Best Scholar Award

Ms. Kayise Maseko | Cellular agriculture | Best Scholar Award

Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa

Kayise Hypercia Maseko is a dedicated food scientist and PhD candidate at Tshwane University of Technology, specializing in sustainable food production systems and cellular agriculture. With a background in Food Technology, her research focuses on alternative protein sources, functional foods, and food preservation techniques. Her work in fungi-based meat analogues and mushroom mycelia optimization contributes to the advancement of lab-grown food technologies. She has collaborated with Agricultural Research Council (ARC-TSC) and WildBio on projects related to food processing and cultivated meat alternatives. A passionate educator, she has worked as a tutor and assistant lecturer, mentoring future food scientists. Kayise is an active member of SACNASP and SAAFoST, with multiple peer-reviewed journal publications and international conference presentations (SAAFoST 2023, IUFoST 2024). Her commitment to food security and biotechnology innovation is evident in her ongoing research contributions, aiming to address global challenges in sustainable food production.

Profile

Orcid

Educationย 

๐ŸŽ“ PhD in Food Technology (2023 – Present)
Tshwane University of Technology

  • Research Topic: Evaluation of biomaterials for mycelium production and development of hybrid cell-cultured meat.

๐ŸŽ“ Master of Agricultural Science (M-Tech in Food Technology) (2019 – 2022)
Tshwane University of Technology

  • Research Topic: Screening the functional properties of unripe banana flour from 35 varieties based on their genomic and sub-genomic groups.
  • Research Conducted at: Agricultural Research Council – Tropical and Subtropical Crops (ARC-TSC).

๐ŸŽ“ B-Tech in Food Technology (2018)
Tshwane University of Technology

  • Research Topic: Commercial Traditional-type, source of fibre mageu.

Research Focus

๐Ÿ”ฌ Sustainable Food Production Systems โ€“ Investigating eco-friendly and efficient food production methods to enhance global food security.

๐ŸŒฑ Cellular Agriculture โ€“ Developing innovative approaches to cultivated meat, focusing on hybrid cell-based meat analogues using fungi-based protein sources.

๐Ÿฅฆ Alternative Protein Sources โ€“ Exploring mushroom mycelia and plant-based proteins as viable meat substitutes for sustainable diets.

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Food Preservation Techniques โ€“ Researching novel food preservation and processing methods to enhance nutritional value and shelf life.

๐ŸŒ Functional Foods & Biomaterials โ€“ Studying unripe banana flour functional properties and biomaterials for food production to improve food formulations.

๐Ÿญ Industry Collaboration โ€“ Working with WildBio on cultivated animal cell biomass and hybrid fungi-based meat alternatives.

๐Ÿ“ข Academic Outreach โ€“ Presenting research at international conferences (SAAFoST 2023, IUFoST 2024) and mentoring students in food science.

Publicationsย 

๐Ÿ“œ Mushroom mycelia as sustainable alternative proteins for the production of hybrid cellโ€cultured meat: A review โ€“ Journal of Food Science (2025) ๐Ÿ”— [DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.70060]

๐ŸŒ Musa species variation, production, and the application of its processed flour: A review โ€“ Scientia Horticulturae (2024) ๐Ÿ”— [DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112688]

๐Ÿ„ Effect of Culture Media on the Yield and Protein Content of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) Kumm Mycelia โ€“ International Journal of Food Science (2024) ๐Ÿ”— [DOI: 10.1155/ijfo/5562732]

๐Ÿงช Discrimination of Musa banana genomic and sub-genomic groups based on multi-elemental fingerprints and chemometrics โ€“ Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (2021) ๐Ÿ”— [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2021.104334]