Zeynep Atamer

Zeynep Atamer is an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University's Food Science and Technology Department, affiliated with the Food Innovation Center in Portland, OR. Her research focuses on dairy science and technology, particularly bacteriophage dynamics, spore inactivation, milk protein behavior, membrane processing, and food safety optimization.

• Primary affiliation: Oregon State University, Food Innovation Center
• Department: Food Science and Technology

Research interests include:

• Dairy bacteriophages and their thermal/non-thermal inactivation
• Spore-forming bacteria in dairy processing
• Milk protein fractionation and functional properties
• Membrane separation technologies for dairy applications
• Cheese and fermentation process optimization
• Development of phage-free dairy products and sensitive detection systems

Recent publications highlight advancements in UV-C/phage reduction strategies, casein-based material development, bitter peptide characterization in cheese, and encapsulation technologies for microbial control. Key subfields include dairy processing stressors, whey protein stability, and gut microbiota modulation via phage delivery.

Her work integrates industrial-scale validation with lab-to-commercial translation, addressing critical challenges in dairy safety and functionality through interdisciplinary approaches spanning microbiology, biochemistry, and food engineering.