Rate My Professor Michelle Leus

Michelle Leus serves as a Scientific Officer specialising in Flavour and Analytical Chemistry within the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago. She earned her MSc in Chemistry from the University of Otago and has since engaged in a variety of research projects centered on flavour volatiles. Her work emphasizes the identification and assessment of odour-active compounds in food and beverages, such as wine, beer, and cheese. Leus utilizes sophisticated analytical methods, including gas chromatography mass spectroscopy with concurrent odour evaluation (GC-O-MS) and Proton Transfer Mass Spectroscopy (PTRMS), to evaluate these compounds. She contributes technical expertise to departmental research, supporting investigations into food processing effects on flavour profiles.

Leus has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and conference papers, reflecting her role in advancing food science knowledge. Key publications include: "Analysis of terpenoid biotransformation in beer by commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast using headspace SPME-GC/MS" (Roberts, R., et al., Food Chemistry Advances, 2024); "Characterisation of volatile compounds in commercially available Horopito and Kawakawa teas" (Fatima, T., et al., Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology Conference, 2023); "Structural changes induced by pulsed electric fields increase the concentration of volatiles released in red onion (Allium cepa L. var. Red Pearl) bulbs" (Tantamacharik, T., et al., Foods, 2019); "Impact of pulsed electric fields on the volatile compounds produced in whole onions (Allium cepa and Allium fistulosum)" (Nandakumar, R., et al., Foods, 2018); and "The effect of further dry aging on the volatiles of wet aged rib eye steaks" (Kanokruangrong, S., et al., Proceedings of the 63rd International Congress of Meat Science & Technology, 2017). Earlier contributions encompass "Characterization of the Reaction of Bisulfite with Unsaturated Aldehydes" (Dufour, J.P., et al., Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, 1999). Her publications, with over 350 citations on ResearchGate, highlight impacts in areas like pulsed electric field processing, meat aging, and beverage fermentation. Leus also features as teaching staff for the postgraduate Flavour Science paper alongside Associate Professor Graham Eyres.