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Plants for Human Health Institute

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green plantains, plantain peel flour and syrup

Jul 17, 2026

From Peel to Pantry: Upcycling Plantain Byproducts into Functional Food Ingredients

In collaboration with Peruvian industry partners, Procesadora Tropical/Inka Crops, NC State Associate Professor, Marvin Moncada, has helped develop two high-value functional food ingredients, a syrup and flour, derived from plantain peels.
Cindy Archila stands by Internship Poster

Jul 14, 2026

PHHI Extension hosts Summer Intern

Cindy Archila traveled from Colorado to spend 10 weeks as part of NC State University’s Extension Internship program. Cindy assisted with the PHHI Extension programs, supporting STEM Education, PhytoMedicine and…
petri dishes with probiotic colonies

Dec 17, 2025

Spray-dried Probiotic Innovation Supports Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that have been traditionally associated with human gut health; however, an innovative manufacturing technique developed in the lab of Marvin Moncada, PhD, at NC State University,…
older adults stretching

Sep 10, 2025

Senior Citizens “Eat. Move. Think.” for Science

A collaborative research project now underway at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, will determine if eating blueberries and doing light exercise can help older adults keep…
schematic of mobile aseptic food processing facility

Mar 19, 2025

Mobile Aseptic Food Processing Facility Aims to Combat Food Loss and Boost Economic Resilience

A groundbreaking solution to address the global issue of food loss and insecurity has been developed through a collaboration between NC State University and Future 50. The innovative Mobile Aseptic…
DraganMilenkovic pipets at lab bench

Feb 13, 2025

PHHI’s newest faculty expands -omics research of phytochemicals

In January, Dragan Milenkovic, Ph.D., joined the faculty at NC State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) as an associate professor in advanced nutrigenomics of bioactive phytochemicals. The addition…
KP Sandeep at podium

Jan 24, 2025

K.P. Sandeep tapped as Interim Director of Plants for Human Health Institute

K.P. Sandeep assumed the role of interim director of NC State University Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) on January 1, 2025, as founding director, Mary Ann Lila, stepped down.…

Jan 22, 2025

Wellness Workshops

PHHI has launched a yearlong Wellness Workshop Series. Led by Cheri Granillo and Abby Bennett, these monthly workshops will share resources that support employee health and wellness. The goal of…

Sep 24, 2024

PHHI alum, Nathalie Plundrich, Outstanding Young Alumni

The Outstanding Young Alumni Awards recognize former CALS students who have excelled early in their careers and show potential for continued success. The 2024 recipients were honored Friday, Sept. 13,…

Sep 16, 2024

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture inspires students in Kannapolis

“Whoa! Look how big this one is!”  It’s an exclamation commonly heard in the school garden when digging sweetpotatoes. What is uncommon is for that comment to be directed at…