The Yang Lab (Food as medicine & smart delivery)

Delivering Affordable Health from Nature

At the Yang Lab, we are redefining the relationship between food and health. Our research advances the concept of Food as Medicine through the development of smart delivery technologies and precision nutrition systems. We are a multidisciplinary team that brings together food chemistry, functional materials, and artificial intelligence to unlock the therapeutic potential of food.

Our vision

We envision a future where Molecularly Engineered Food (ME Food) becomes medicine. By bridging the gap between food science and human health research, we aim to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges, including sustainability, affordable health solutions, and healthy aging, transforming food into a powerful tool for human and planetary well-being.

ME FOOD

ME Food is not a new category of food, but a redefinition of existing foods through molecular design. By applying techniques such as enzymatic modification, self-assembly, and surface engineering, we can significantly enhance the stability, bioavailability, and functionality of food components. When these molecular criteria are achieved, foods not only provide nourishment but may also serve therapeutic roles in the prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Our Mission

Our mission is to move discoveries from fundamental science to real-world applications that transform global health and nutrition. We are committed to advancing research along the full innovation pipeline, from mechanistic insights to material design and commercialization. Ultimately, our goal is to break the cycle of malnutrition and poverty by providing affordable health through food.

Develop next-generation functional foods: 

Harness agricultural by-products to create evidence-based functional foods, unlocking their health potential while reducing food waste.

Create novel functional materials: 

Design biodegradable, food-safe polymers and intelligent delivery platforms for efficient nutrient release and environmentally responsible food packaging.

Enable precision nutrition:

Integrate multi-omics data with AI-driven models to design personalized dietary strategies that improve health outcomes across diverse populations.

Commercialize research into real-world applications:

Transform laboratory discoveries into commercially viable innovations, advancing global health equity while fostering an inclusive, collaborative training environment for the next generation of food scientists.

Join us!