Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences

Fermentation Sciences

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Hundreds of people waited in line to get into the Beer Fest right at 3 p.m. when the general admission opened.

Bubbles, brews and sweet potatoes: High Country Beer Fest marks 19th year [staff featured]
Sep 3, 2026

BOONE — Thousands of beer lovers filled the Watauga County fairgrounds Saturday for the 19th annual High Country Beer Fest, sampling pours from 37 breweries under cooperating skies.

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences
Tents with people drinking beer in front of them.

Beer, bubbles and Boone businesses come together for Beer Fest [faculty featured]
Sep 2, 2026

Despite the nation’s declining alcohol sales and general consumption, here in the High Country, t

Fermentation Sciences
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.

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences, Grants and Research

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

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

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences, Grants and Research
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-b

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences, Grants and Research
Erik Martella

Fermentation Sciences lecturer Erik Martella named one of SevenFifty Daily’s 2026 Drinks Innovators
Jul 21, 2026

While the wine industry often casts Gen Z as a culprit for the current downturn, Erik Martella, a North Carolina winemaker with a foothold in... Alumni, Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences

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.

Chemistry, Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences, Grants and Research, Students
Dr. Brett Taubman is a professor and the director of the Fermentation Sciences program in Appalachian State University's A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

Dr. Brett Taubman featured on WUNC's The Broadside
Jan 23, 2026

From bourbon to chow chow, fermentation is everywhere in Southern food and drink.

Department News, Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences
Erik Martella sits on a stone wall and smiles while pouring himself a glass of red wine.

Demystifying Wine for the Next Generation [faculty featured]
Jan 9, 2026

As both an educator and winemaker, Erik Martella has spent decades thinking about how people encounter wine, not just as a beverage, but as an... Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences

Dr. Brett Taubman is a professor and the director of the Fermentation Sciences program in Appalachian State University's A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

Dr. Brett Taubman authors chapter in upcoming ACS Symposium Series volume
Jan 6, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Dr.

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences
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.

Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences, Grants and Research
Erik Martella, wine specialist and lecturer in the Appalachian State University Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, member of the CAS Advancement Council, and proprietor of Erik Martella Wines, chats with students at Vidalia Restaurant and Wine Bar before the beginning of the inaugural "Wine and Fine Dining for Emerging Professionals" program. Photo by Lauren Gibbs

Students learn about wine and fine dining through new program sponsored by Erik Martella
Nov 12, 2025

BOONE, N.C.

Department News, Fermentation Sciences, Faculty and Staff, Students
Fermentation Sciences majors Finn Adams (left), Chris Martin (second from left), and Dominic Bernardi (third from left) learned about winemaking from Will Burrow ’20 (fourth from left), head winemaker at Grandfather Mountain Vineyard in Banner Elk.

Fermentation Sciences students gain hands-on experience from local businesses
Oct 15, 2025

BOONE, N.C.

Fermentation Sciences, Students