Research projects

This project aims to address the challenges of cheddar ripening by identifying genomic and physicochemical biomarkers that predict its quality. By employing innovative technologies such as metagenomics and nuclear magnetic resonance, the project seeks to detect defects early and optimize manufacturing and ripening practices. In collaboration with cheese dairies, this initiative aims to reduce economic losses, enhance cheddar quality, and improve the sustainability of the sector.

This project aims to develop economically viable industrial processes for producing bacteriocins. The aim is to offer natural alternatives to antibiotics and chemical additives. It explores their effectiveness in preventing and treating bovine mastitis in dairy cows. The bacteriocins developed could also improve cheese quality by limiting defects caused by spoilage bacteria.

This project aims to enhance the value of whey ultrafiltration (UF) permeate, a source of lactose, by incorporating it into dairy cow rations as a partial substitute for starch. The goal is to increase the sustainability and profitability of the dairy sector while optimising milk production and technological quality. By combining nutritional, microbiological, and technological analyses, this multidisciplinary research investigates a circular economy strategy to address market needs and lessen the environmental impact of the sector.

This project aims to add value to Canadian skim milk by developing liquid milk protein concentrates for human nutrition. By overcoming the challenges associated with dehydration and optimizing the stability and functional properties of liquid concentrates, this research proposes innovative and competitive solutions. The aim is to create a high-quality nutritional ingredient that meets the needs of the food industry and is adapted to international markets.

This project examines how to optimize the nutrition of dairy cows during the pre-calving period to enhance their health and that of their calves. By focusing on B vitamins and immunoglobulins, researchers aim to reduce metabolic diseases and boost calf immunity. Expected results include practical nutritional recommendations for commercial farms, helping to limit health problems and economic losses associated with this critical period.

This project explores dairy biofilms, their origins and impacts by analyzing 60 farms and several cheese dairies in Quebec and Ontario. It aims to identify the microbial communities responsible and develop bioprotective cultures to control harmful biofilms. The results will improve milk quality management from the farm to the cheese factory, optimize equipment sanitation and enhance the value of beneficial biofilms, thus contributing to higher quality dairy products.

This project aims to develop an artificial intelligence tool to identify mastitis pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in milk. Using advanced algorithms, the tool will provide faster diagnoses, improving herd health management and milk quality control. This technology, already proven in the medical field, could be an innovation for the dairy sector.

This research project aims to optimize the use of milk solids not fat (MSNF) and dairy processing co-products in Quebec. The main objective is to develop various scenarios and assess their technical, economic, and environmental feasibility. The research team intends to produce a map of co-products, identify promising recovery options, and create a decision-making tool for processors.

The WELL-E Chair employs artificial intelligence and sensors to early detect welfare-related changes and assess the longevity of dairy cows. This comprehensive research team integrates farm data and feedback from dairy farmers to create automated tools and indicators. This innovative approach seeks to enhance the well-being, health, and profitability of cows while providing dairy producers with tangible solutions to address sustainability challenges and societal expectations.

This research project aims to valorize the lactose in milk and whey permeates to create sustainable polymers for milk packaging. By using bioplastics and recyclable lactic acid-based materials, the team hopes to improve sustainability, reduce production costs and lower the carbon footprint, while offering better protection against contaminants.

The goal of this project is to develop an innovative silage-making technique using new pre-winnowing and grain-feeding methods. This initiative aims to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance the nutritional quality of silage, and provide a more ecological alternative to corn silage. The project seeks to increase milk production and lower nutrition costs for dairy cattle.

Early lactation cows experience fertility issues due to a metabolic deficit. This project aims to identify at-risk cows by measuring blood levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and analyzing DNA epigenetics. By adapting insemination strategies based on BHB levels, this approach could lower medication costs while enhancing fertility and production in dairy herds.

This project explores the microbiological and chemical factors influencing cheese quality, such as natural milk microbiota, seasonal variations and antimicrobial systems. The aim is to better understand their effects on cheese texture and ripening, in order to optimize cheese quality and on-farm production practices. The results could support more precise production and enhance the uniqueness of cheeses through scientific evidence.

This project explores the optimization of proteins contained in dairy cow rations. It aims to reduce crude protein content while optimizing the levels of metabolizable proteins and certain amino acids. The aim of the project is to reduce feed costs and nitrogen emissions, while maintaining milk production efficiency. Conducted on 12 commercial farms, this research aims to validate economically and ecologically viable feeding strategies.

This research project aims to add value to buttermilk, an under-utilized by-product of butter production, by developing eco-efficient strategies for separating membrane components from dairy fat globules. By combining ultra-high-pressure homogenization and microfiltration, the aim is to produce high value-added bio-ingredients and integrate some of them into dairy products. The expected results could lead to optimized and sustainable use of buttermilk.