Ozan Ciftci

Ozan Ciftci is the Kenneth E. Morrison Distinguished Professor of Food Engineering and Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, affiliated with the Department of Food Science and Technology and Biological Systems Engineering. His research focuses on green processing of lipids for novel food products, specifically through supercritical fluid technology applications.

• Education: B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Food Engineering from University of Gaziantep, Turkey
• Postdoctoral training: Chemistry and Biochemistry (University of Lethbridge, Canada); Bioresource and Food Engineering (University of Alberta, Canada)

Research interests include:

• Particle Formation: Supercritical fluid-based micro/nanoparticle production for bioactives
• Green Extraction: Supercritical CO2 and subcritical water methods for bioactives from agricultural wastes
• Biorefining: Integrated supercritical fluid systems for value-added processing
• 3D Food Printing: High-oil-content food ink development
• Biocatalytic Conversions: Enzymatic structured lipid production in supercritical media

Recent publications emphasize advancements in supercritical CO2 applications for bioactive delivery systems, including curcumin bioavailability enhancement, omega-3 fortified milk, lycopene extraction from tomato waste, and biodegradable bioplastics development. His lab actively recruits postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students for these projects.

Key lab members include current graduate students Purlen Sezer Okur, Yue Wang, Muhammad Ehtasham Akram, and Yidong Jiang, alongside notable alumni like Lingyi Liu and Farhad Alavi. The lab's vision aligns with transforming food systems through sustainable engineering innovations.