Interview with Dr. Netsanet Shiferaw Terefe—Winner of the Fermentation Best Paper Award

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Netsanet Shiferaw Terefe’s paper “Microbial Fermentation for Improving the Sensory, Nutritional and Functional Attributes of Legumes” has won the Fermentation 2023 Best Paper Award, acknowledging it as an exceptional article published in Fermentation (ISSN: 2311-5637). As the winner of this award, Dr. Netsanet Shiferaw Terefe will receive CHF 500, a certificate, and a free voucher for article processing fees that is valid for one year.

The following is a short interview with Dr. Netsanet Shiferaw Terefe:

1. Could you please introduce us to your research team, and how did you come to the idea of an academic career?
I was very academic in school and once I finished my Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, I was given the opportunity to work in my university as a graduate assistant. That started my academic career. Once I completed my PhD, I decided to focus on research and innovation and that is what I am currently doing.

2. What is your current research focus?
My current research focus is fermentation and precision fermentation for the production of healthy and functional foods, alternative protein ingredients and the valorization of food waste.

3. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
The development of sustainable technologies for the production of foods to ensure food security in a resource-contained world and to future-proof our food system. I believe the innovative application of regenerative AI and other digital technologies will facilitate progress in the field.

4. If you could pass on one piece of advice to junior scientists, what would you want them to know?
I think persistence in the face of challenges is one of the main keys to success in any endeavour, including science. Thus, persist despite setbacks and seemingly insurmountable challenges, scientific or otherwise.

5. When and how did you first become aware of the open access Fermentation journal? How do you think open access impacts authors?
I don’t exactly remember but it was around 2021 through an invitation from one of the Editors to be a Fermentation Section Editorial Board Member. I believe open access publishing enables wider distribution and the broader impact of authors’ research outcomes.

6. In your opinion, what are the biggest problems that the publishing industry may face in the next couple of years?
I can’t speak for the publishing industry in general. In the case of academic publishers, the increasing use of AI may pose difficulty in identifying where human creative contribution starts and ends, which may negatively affect the authenticity and credibility of published research.