Dr Bukola Onarinde

The Appliance of Science

As a former student of the University of Lincoln, Dr Bukola Onarinde knows all about the strengths of our research environment. Having gained her BSc in Microbiology from Nigeria’s University of Ilorin, Bukola joined the University to study first an MSc and then a PhD in Food Science and Technology.

Now an Associate Professor at the University’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), Bukola has amassed more than 15 years' experience of industrial research collaboration across the fields of food microbiology and food science and technology.

The "small but enabling community" of NCFM at the University’s Holbeach Campus, as Bukola describes it, has sector-leading industry links and this has seen Bukola take part in multiple research collaborations, working with bodies including Innovate UK, Food Standards Agency, and European Research Development Fund, as well as food industries and retailers – attracting £7.1 million of funding.

Working with Industry

Bukola’s research encompasses various critical areas under the wider food microbiology and food science and technology umbrella.

"Whether it’s looking at antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, undertaking shelf-life and challenge studies, or examining the effect of gut microbiome and nutrition on human health, the aim of my research is always the same: delivering scientific, societal, and economic benefits," explains Bukola.

"By working in close collaboration with those in the industry, including farmers, retailers, and food industry equipment manufacturers, I am able to deliver research that informs government policy on food safety and ultimately improves public health by reducing foodborne illnesses."

That research can take many forms: from supporting the Food Standards Agency and the National Food Crime Prevention Unit in developing new strategies to prevent food fraud, to working with the Food Safety Research Network on examining the growing market of new alternative proteins and plant based foods to understand their microbial risks.

The Next Generation

Bukola credits the supportive environment at the University with helping her professional development as well as her academic achievement and she’s keen to let the next generation of scientists know how beneficial it can be, calling Lincoln "an ideal place for researchers to thrive".

"I am committed to fostering ongoing advancement in the field of food science and microbiology," says Bukola. "I want to use my wide-ranging research experience to mentor emerging scientists, including supervising postgraduate students at Master’s and PhD levels."

In addition, Bukola is encouraging younger people to consider a career in a STEM subject. Her ‘Food Science for School Age Children’ engagement event, developed from the Public Engagement for All with Research at Lincoln (PEARL) project, brings the subject to life with Bukola and her team carrying out interactive workshops and exhibitions on a series of experiments in food science, to showcase what a fantastic sector it is to work in.