Rate My Professor Dimitris Charalampopoulos

Professor Dimitris Charalampopoulos is Professor of Food Biotechnology in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading. He holds a PhD in Fermentation from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). Employed at the University of Reading since 2005, he has developed a distinguished research career focused on food biotechnology. His research interests encompass microbial fermentation to produce platform and speciality chemicals, the development of functional food ingredients including bioactive oligosaccharides and probiotic bacterial cultures, and the valorisation of food waste and by-products, with a particular emphasis on fibre and protein components. Key areas include food waste valorisation, industrial biotechnology, functional foods, sustainable proteins, and cocoa production sustainability. He leads initiatives such as the Reading Alt Protein Project and research on biomass biorefinery and net zero agrifood systems.

Charalampopoulos has authored over 85 publications in food bioprocessing, functional foods, and waste valorisation, contributing to numerous multi-partner research programmes. His highly cited works include 'Application of cereals and cereal components in functional foods: a review' (2002, International Journal of Food Microbiology), 'Microencapsulation of probiotics for gastrointestinal delivery' (2012, Journal of Controlled Release), 'Adhesion mechanisms mediated by probiotics and prebiotics and their potential impact on human health' (2019, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology), and 'Recommendations for the viability assessment of probiotics as concentrated cultures and in food matrices' (2011, International Journal of Food Microbiology). He co-edited the book 'Prebiotics and Probiotics Science and Technology'. In leadership roles, he directed the BBSRC Network FoodWasteNet from 2014 to 2019 and currently serves as Co-Director of the BBSRC Biomass Biorefinery Network (BBNet). He is Senior Editor of Food Chemistry journal, a member of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP), and an assessor for Innovate UK funding applications. His contributions advance sustainable food systems and novel bioprocessing technologies.