MMSU Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center

16/05/2026

FIRST HIGH-TECH PROBIOTIC LAB SA PILIPINAS?! 🔬😮

Alam mo bang sa Mariano Marcos State University matatagpuan ang kauna-unahang high-technology probiotic laboratory sa bansa? Sa tulong ng Commission on Higher Education, itinayo ang Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC) kasama ang Center for Cellular and Molecular Medical Research (CMED). Alamin kung paano binabago ng makabagong research facilities na ito ang larangan ng agham at kalusugan sa Pilipinas! 🧪✨


MMSU-Research Directorate

16/05/2026

KAMANGEG SA ILOCOS, GINAGAWANG GATAS AT SORBETES?! 🍦😮

Alamin kung paano ginagawang mas malusog at mas creative ang mga native crops sa pamamagitan ng agham! Sino ang mag-aakala na ang isang root crop tulad ng kamangeg ay pwedeng gawing ice cream, fermented milk, at kahit gamot pa? Sa tulong ng Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC) ng Mariano Marcos State University, at sa suporta ng Commission on Higher Education, na-extract ang probiotics mula sa isang makabagong hakbang para sa food innovation at health research! 🧪✨

18/03/2026

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | Universitas Gadjah Mada of Indonesia and MMSU partner for joint programs and research

By Wimbledon Bosque

New opportunities for joint academic programs and research are set to emerge after Mariano Marcos State University and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) of Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 16.

Present during the virtual MOU signing were MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr., Vice President for Academic Affairs Aris Reynold Cajigal, and UGM Vice Rector for Education and Learning Wening Udasmoro, who represented UGM Rector Ova Emilia.

Dr. Manzano said he is honored to partner with UGM and stressed the importance of collaboration between the two institutions. “Partnerships like this allow us to combine our expertise and resources to deliver stronger programs, advance research, and better serve the communities in the ASEAN spirit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cajigal expressed optimism that the collaboration will open opportunities for knowledge exchange and capacity building, particularly in pharmacy and food science, while allowing MMSU to learn from UGM’s established programs in these fields.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the two universities, including the exchange of students, professors, and research scholars; the conduct of joint research projects; and the organization of lectures, conferences, seminars, and symposia. The partnership also covers the exchange of guest faculty members and academic information and materials to enhance institutional development and management.

Under the agreement, collaborative activities will focus on programs and research centers of shared interest. For MMSU, these include the Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center, the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program, and the Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology program.

Specific initiatives and activities will be implemented through separate agreements that will outline detailed plans within the overall framework of the MOU.

13/03/2026

𝐏𝐂𝐂 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐍𝐑𝐂 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐌𝐒𝐔

Researchers and staff from the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) visited the laboratories of the Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC) at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) as part of their institutional visit to the University.

During the tour, the delegation explored FNRC’s research facilities and gained insights into ongoing initiatives in functional foods, nutraceutical innovation, and food-based technologies.

The visit also highlighted MMSU’s research capabilities in developing science-based solutions that support agriculture, livestock, and food innovation.

24/02/2026

𝐏𝐆𝐂 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐍𝐑𝐂: 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐂-𝐌𝐒 𝐐𝐓𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Dr. Neil Andre D. Bascos, Program Director of the Protein, Proteomics, and Metabolomics Facility (PPMF) at the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), together with colleagues, visited the LC-MS QTOF system at Mariano Marcos State University’s Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC). The visit was conducted in collaboration with Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd and Shimadzu Philippines Corporation under the existing Memorandum of Understanding.

The visit highlighted the technical capabilities, analytical workflows, and application development of the LC-MS QTOF platform in proteomics, metabolomics, natural products research, and functional food analysis. Discussions also emphasized the system’s role in protein characterization, biomarker discovery, and metabolite profiling, as well as in data management strategies and research development opportunities.

The activity also highlighted FNRC’s state-of-the-art facilities and provided an opportunity to showcase its capabilities, support knowledge exchange, and discuss initiatives such as method development, technical training, and research advancement.

This engagement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening research ecosystems, advancing analytical skills, and promoting cutting-edge instrumentation to drive scientific innovation and excellence in high-resolution mass spectrometry.

23/02/2026

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐒𝐔 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐌𝐒𝐔 𝐅𝐍𝐑𝐂: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐂-𝐌𝐒 𝐐𝐓𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

Officials and representatives from Batangas State University, led by Dr. Bryan John A. Magoling, who serves as the Director for Research Management Services, visited Mariano Marcos State University through its Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC) for a benchmarking activity on the LC-MS QTOF facility, conducted under the existing Memorandum of Understanding with Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd and Shimadzu Philippines Corporation.

The visit focused on gaining technical and operational insights into the utilization, application development, data management, and research integration of the Shimadzu LC-MS QTOF system in metabolomics, natural products, and functional food analysis.

In addition to the benchmarking session, the delegation toured FNRC’s state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot-scale facilities, providing an overview of the Center’s analytical capabilities, research workflows, and translational research initiatives.

The benchmarking activity aims to support Batangas State University’s enhancement of its advanced analytical instrumentation programs and strengthen inter-institutional collaboration in research, innovation, and capacity building in mass spectrometry and related applications.

19/02/2026

FNRC 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 of Batac, 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦 — Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), through the Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC), successfully conducted the 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 on 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, at the 𝗠𝗠𝗦𝗨 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹. Anchored on the theme “𝙈𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙂𝙄𝙎,” the forum underscored the growing role of geospatial technologies in evidence-based public health planning and governance.

The forum featured 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗱𝗶 of the 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗔𝗜𝗧), 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, as resource speaker. In his presentation, Dr. Mandadi highlighted the critical importance of translating geospatial data into actionable public health strategies, emphasizing how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can support informed decision-making, health equity analysis, and improved population health outcomes.

Faculty members and researchers from the IFP–Probiotics Research Project, the Research Directorate, and various academic units, including the Departments of Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Food Science, and the College of Medicine, actively participated in the forum. The forum served as a platform for dialogue among academicians and researchers, supporting intersectoral collaboration and strengthening institutional capacity for the strategic use of GIS in public health and community-based interventions.

The Health GIS Forum also complemented MMSU’s expanded and holistic research initiatives aimed at addressing pressing nutrition and food security concerns in Northern Luzon. Through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)–LAKAS–funded project entitled “𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘐𝘍𝘗 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢–𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺,” the University is actively working to address malnutrition and enhance food system resilience in the Ilocos Region.

This initiative focuses on the development of probiotic-based food systems utilizing indigenous food plants, with the long-term goal of promoting healthier and more sustainable communities. As part of the project, the research team is currently conducting a study titled “𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚, 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙨 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚.” The study aims to assess population-level awareness, perceptions, and use of probiotics, generating data that may inform future nutrition and public health interventions.

Through the successful conduct of the Health GIS Forum and the implementation of innovative, CHED-supported research, MMSU reaffirms its commitment to advancing public health, strengthening food security, and supporting sustainable community development through collaborative, data-driven, and science-based approaches.

29/01/2026

28/01/2026

🔬👩‍🔬 Learning Beyond the Classroom at FNRC

Food Technology students explored innovation firsthand during a laboratory tour at the Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC), highlighted by a live spray drying demonstration, a key process in functional food and nutraceutical product development, conducted by Mr. Juvan Ong, functional food development researcher.

The students were guided by their instructor, Mr. Johnmel Valerozo, a member of the FNRC research team, who shared practical insights and hands-on knowledge bridging theory with real-world applications.

📩 For institutions or groups interested in a laboratory tour at FNRC, you may coordinate with
Dr. Rhian Jaymar Ramil, Chief of FNRC, or contact us through
📧 [email protected]

🌱⚙️ Empowering future food technologists through experiential learning

27/01/2026

🌱🔬 FNRC at Tech-for-All: Community Innovation & Exhibit

The Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Research Center (FNRC) actively participated in the “Tech-for-All: Community Innovation & Exhibit,” held on January 20, 2026, at the Center for Flexible Learning.

FNRC showcased a variety of probiotic-enriched and functional food products, including bugnay kombucha, Champobar, chocolate polvoron, duhat–kamangeg ice cream, and squashanate ice cream, highlighting the center’s ongoing innovations in health-oriented food development.

The Tech-for-All event is part of Mariano Marcos State University’s 48th Foundation Anniversary, underscoring the University’s strong commitment to research excellence, innovation, and meaningful community engagement.

🌾✨