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    Mango Science

    Mango Science

    Row of Mango trees. Photographed on 06-27-18. by UF Tyler Jones 021830

    About The Project

    Tropical fruits like mangoes are becoming more popular in the U.S. as Americans develop broader tastes, but imported mangoes often lack flavor due to quarantine treatments like heat or irradiation. This creates a significant opportunity for U.S. farmers to grow premium mango varieties that deliver superior taste, which is critical since flavor is the top factor influencing food purchases, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. Despite strong demand for flavorful and healthy mangoes, domestic production is underutilized. Our project aims to help farmers capitalize on this by developing a "multi-omics" platform that combines consumer insights and advanced science to produce mangoes with exceptional flavor and health benefits, meeting the growing demand for better-tasting specialty fruits.

    The project has three main goals:  

    1. Evaluate different mango varieties for their performance in the field, flavor, and consumer preferences.

    2. Study the genetics of mango flavor to understand which genes are responsible for the flavors that consumers prefer, using advanced scientific methods called "Omics."

    3. Find natural sweeteners/sweetness enhancers in mangoes to provide options for consumers who want fruits with enhanced sweetness but lower sugar content.

    Team Members

    Name Title Unit Phone Email
    Dr. Yu Wang Project Director | Associate Professor - Food Science | University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center (863) 956-8673 yu.wang@ufl.edu
    Dr. Jonathan H. Crane  Associate Center Director, Professor, and Tropical Fruit Crop Specialist | University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center (786) 217-9271 jhcr@ufl.edu
    Dr. Charles A. Sims Professor - Food Science | University of Florida UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition (352) 294-3592 csims@ufl.edu 
    Dr. Lisa House 

    Professor and Chair - Department of Food and Resource Economics | University of Florida

    Director of the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center

    Food and Resource Economics Department (352) 294-7653 lahouse@ufl.edu
    Dr. Steven D. Munger Professor, Co-Director of Research, Otolaryngology  University of Virginia School of Medicine   sdm4jb@virginia.edu
    Dr. Yue Niu 

    Associate Professor, Statistics-GIDP

    Mathematics | University of Arizona (520) 621-1961 yueniu@arizona.edu 
    Dr. Xingbo Wu  Assistant Professor - Ornamental breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics | University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center (786)-217-9279 xingbo.wu@ufl.edu
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    Citrus Research and Education Center
    Dr. Yu Wang 700 Experiment Station Rd. Lake Alfred, FL 33850
    (863) 956-1151

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