Maria L. Marco

Maria L. Marco is a Professor and Chair of the Food Science Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. She holds a PhD in Microbial Biology (UC Berkeley, 1999) and a B.S. in Microbiology (Penn State, 1993). Her research focuses on microbial roles in fermented foods and gut health, emphasizing lactic acid bacteria's contributions to food production and human health. She teaches FST104 (Food Microbiology) and FST204 (Advanced Food Microbiology).

Dr. Marco's work combines systems biology, genetics, and ecology to study microbiomes in food and intestinal systems. Her research has led to over 150 publications, including seminal studies on probiotic mechanisms, fermented food benefits, and gut-microbiota interactions. Notable awards include the American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer designation (2012–2014), World's Top 2% Scientists recognition (2021–2025), and the 2024 UC Davis Graduate Advising Award. She chairs the Gordon Research Conference on Lactic Acid Bacteria and co-authored the ISAPP consensus statement on fermented foods.

Her research group explores topics like bacteriocin activity, microbiota-gut-brain interactions, and food safety innovations. Collaborative projects include studies on Indigenous fermentation practices and microbial electrochemical systems for pathogen detection.