Charlene Van Buiten, PhD

Super stoked to be at U of Minnesota today for the Plant Protein Innovation Center’s 6th Annual Research Spotlight!

Winner winner!! Big day for these two smartypants from the Food Structure & Function Lab- Chelsie won the 2025 Rocky Mountain IFT Scholarship and Bo is the Outstanding Senior for the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition!

The end of the year is always so bittersweet- we are going to miss our superstar undergrad, Bo Wallace, terribly, but we are so thrilled to see what he’ll achieve next! 🌟👨🏼‍🎓

I’m just a girl standing in front of a team of academic advisors, asking them why we have enrollment pre-requisites if they’re just going to ask me to let students who haven’t taken them into my classes 🫠

The Food Structure & Function Lab is small but mighty- so much fun to run a half marathon with my two grad students, Grace and Chelsie today! 🎉 #TeamBread

Listening to @chubicki.bsky.social discuss Survivor strategy in the context of academic department conflicts and student evaluations… 10/10, no notes.

Burrito brunch for the Food Structure & Function Lab to celebrate Spring Break!

Super cool article! It’s the excitement I feel coming across papers like this that reminds me that it is actually impossible to overstate how much I love food science. 😅

Farmers - Ranchers - Producers: please make your voice heard!

Press your City, County and State Elected Officials!

Fuck the WH; they aren’t listening because they don’t care. We see it.

City and State need to know why they won’t be re-elected next election‼️

But another Danielle behind Britney too! “You did it to me again”?! 🥵

Government efficiency? How about $575 M investment by NIH for a $1,560 M return (in Colorado alone). I’d like to see any DOGE efforts get anywhere close to a 170% increase on the investment.

#NIHinYourState
#KeepScienceFullyFunded
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...

I gave mine on Wednesday- guess we’ll have a follow-up this week!

Now that federal scientists are constrained from protecting our food supply and air, preventing disease outbreaks, and reduce carbon emissions,

it’s on us as university and industry scientists to pick up this work. Find where your lane needs your engagement, and wade in.

Another semester in the books. Thrilled to again have the honor of reading names at the College of Health and Human Sciences commencement tonight. #Academia has its challenges, but getting to support and celebrate the hard work of students is something that will always keep me coming back for more.

I rediscovered Survivor in grad school in 2012, but had no friends watching with me to talk to about it! When I eventually stumbled upon RHAP in 2015, it quickly felt like you and Rob were my friends 😅 Beyond regular pods, the absolute goofiness of TEOS got me through some v long hours in the lab!

Teamwork makes the dream work! So proud of Grace and Chelsie on their successful poster presentation at Grad Showcase today, topped off with an honorable mention for the Great Minds in Research Award! “Foodomics Predicts Functional Differences in Quality and Health Benefits of Sourdough Bread” 👩🏻‍🔬👩🏼‍🔬🍞

Working on a review paper with a colleague from another department. Two weeks ago when we met to work on it together, I sent her a calendar invite for today to call me and tell me to work on the paper for 2 hours this afternoon and she did it. So then I did it! Have I solved academic writing???

Very much anticipating this quick swing from optimism into despair 😅

Peak #academia is looking forward to a week off from work because of all the work I’m going to be able to get done. 🥲

Hi bluesky! 🙋🏼‍♀️

I’m an Assistant Prof of #foodscience at Colorado State. We use #foodchemistry to develop sustainable solutions for human and planetary health! We ♥️ plant proteins and sourdough fermentation. ⚗️🍞🌎

Outside of science, I am also v enthusiastic about #cycling, #hiking and #realityTV. 🚲🏔️📺