Professor; Chair of the Food Science Graduate Group, UC Davis

Dr. Maria Marco is a distinguished professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbial Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Microbiology with Honors and Distinction from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Marco’s research focuses on the study of microorganisms in foods and intestinal ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on lactic acid bacteria. Her work explores the roles these bacteria play in the production of fermented foods and beverages and their contributions to human health and well-being. Utilizing systems biology, genetics, and ecology, Dr. Marco and her team investigate the unique properties of individual bacterial strains and the functional capacities of food and gut microbiomes. She teaches courses on Food Microbiology (FST104) and Advanced Food Microbiology (FST204) and has been recognized with numerous awards, including being named a Distinguished Lecturer by the American Society for Microbiology.