Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences

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A bunch of sweet potatoes.

Upcycling sweet potato field waste into a plant-based milk [faculty featured]
Aug 19, 2026

North Carolina grows most of the sweet potatoes in the US, which means it accumulates most of the sweet potato waste, too. Approximately 28,600 tonnes...

Incoming first-year App State student Brenda Randell, of Chapel Hill, presents tardigrade research she conducted through Summer Ventures at the American Junior Academy of Science conference in Phoenix last February. Photo submitted

Summer Ventures at App State immerses NC high schoolers in hands-on science and math research
Aug 5, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — For four weeks each summer, high school students from across North Carolina step into the role of researchers at Appalachian State Uni...

Sweetpotato milk first gains big financial backing [faculty featured]
Jul 30, 2026

Will sweetpotato milk fill a gap in the dairy alternatives space?...

Appalachian State University researchers, backed by a $1.82 million grant, have found a new use for sweet potatoes: sweet potato milk. It features a rich texture and sweet taste with a slight tint of the signature orange hue. Photo by Chase Reynolds

Buttery, sweet and orange: This milk alternative has deep North Carolina roots [faculty featured]
Jul 27, 2026

The humble sweet potato, long considered a North Carolina staple, is at the center of innovation as it’s transformed into the latest plant-based mil...

Dr. Brett Taubman holds a glass of Rootsii.

This App State Researcher is Taking Wasted Sweet Potatoes — And Turning Them Into Milk [faculty featured]
Jun 4, 2026

North Carolina may be famous for its beaches and Blue Ridge Mountains, but the state has a lesser-known claim to fame. As the sweet potato capital, No...

App State professor Dr. Brett Taubman, left, and Fermentation Sciences Lab manager Daniel Parker have developed the sweetpotato milk Rootsii in fermentation lab facilities at App State. The locally sourced, sustainable and allergy-friendly product received $1.82 million in funding from NCInnovation, with a goal of bringing the milk from proof of concept to store shelves over the next two years. Photo by Chase Reynolds

From the field to the fridge: $1.82M NCInnovation grant supports sweetpotato startup at App State
May 15, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Backed by a $1.82 million NCInnovation grant, Appalachian State University professor Dr. Brett Taubman and his research team are trans...

App State alumni Masa and Seleen Al Horani. Photo by Chase Reynolds

Meet graduates Masa and Seleen Al Horani ’26
May 14, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University celebrated the achievements of more than 4,300 graduates — the largest graduating class in university h...

Three individuals wearing blue jackets in a scientific lab.

From waste to taste: Fermentation unlocks protein potential
Apr 8, 2026

Modern chemistry meets food preparation practices that date to antiquity in a protein processing lab at App State. Student researchers Jackson Johnson...

Dr. Nancy Asen is an assistant professor in the Appalachian State University A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

Dr. Nancy Asen co-authors publications in Food Research International and Food Chemistry
Jan 6, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Nancy Asen, assistant professor in Appalachian State University's A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, is...

Dr. Bob Swarthout is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences and Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences.

Dr. Bob Swarthout co-authors chemical analysis of USS Arizona oil leak
Nov 10, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Bob Swarthout, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences and Department of Geological and Envir...

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