Thu Ha Nguyen

Dr. Thu Ha Nguyen is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in Food Biotechnology at the Institute of Food Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She completed her doctorate at BOKU in 2006 and earned her habilitation in Food Biotechnology in 2018, becoming a private lecturer. Her research focuses on the enzymatic synthesis of prebiotics, particularly using bacterial β-galactosidases to produce galacto- and hetero-oligosaccharides from lactose and other substrates.

Her research interests include:

• Food Biotechnology
• Genetic Engineering
• Enzyme Technology
• Prebiotic Synthesis
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Carbohydrate Bioengineering

Dr. Nguyen's recent publications highlight her work on recombinant enzyme production in Lactobacillus and E. coli, immobilization techniques, and valorization of dairy byproducts like whey. Her studies often involve cloning, expression, and characterization of glycosidases from Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, with applications in functional foods and gut health.

She has received the Elise Richter Fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) in 2016, a prestigious award supporting women in postdoctoral research. Her scientific contributions include numerous conference presentations across Europe, the US, and Asia.

Dr. Nguyen has supervised university theses and contributed to knowledge transfer through lectures and outreach. She has not been listed as part-time, retired, or former staff, and remains an active academic at BOKU.