Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Saona

Area of Expertise: Application of Fourier Transform infrared (FT-NIR and mid-IR) spectroscopy in the field of food safety and quality assurance. Development of predictive models for the rapid detection, identification, and classification of chemical & microbial contaminants and food components with biological activity.

Research Interests: My research involves improving quality and safety of agricultural products through the application of novel analytical technologies. I help develop and apply vibrational spectroscopic techniques for chemical analysis, material characterization, and understanding of chemical interactions for better functionality and detection of food contaminants. IR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics has considerable potential for high-throughput screening. Optical sensor technology is rapidly developing and instruments are already available commercially as portable, hand-held, and micro- devices. OSU now has the first hand-held IR device for food applications.