Nandika Bandara, Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Food Proteins and Bioproducts, University of Manitoba
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Nandika Bandara is an associate professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Food Proteins and Bioproducts in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba (UM).
He completed his undergraduate degree in agriculture specializing in food science and technology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He then worked in the industry for four years before moving to Canada to do his master’s degree in food science and technology and his PhD at the University of Alberta.
Where did you work before UM?
After completing my PhD, I began a postdoctoral fellowship (PDF) position at the University of Guelph in the Department of Food Science, supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada PDF scholarship. I stayed there five months before I got an assistant professor role at Dalhousie University.
What got you interested in this area of work?
When I was in middle school, there was a 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, the oldest university in my country. A family friend was staying in our home, going to university, and he took me to that celebration exhibition. After seeing all the animals, equipment and different farming systems, I knew agriculture was something I would really like. I selected agriculture as my high school major and went directly to that same university for the agriculture degree program.
Tell us a bit about what you are working on at UM.
My research program focuses on improving the protein and bioproduct industries using biopolymers generated in agriculture and food processing. I have three main research themes:
- Sustainable technologies for protein processing and functionality improvement: Developing nonthermal processing, fermentation, and dry and wet protein fractionation technologies to produce functional protein ingredients.
- Advancing fundamental knowledge related to protein utilization: Using advanced analytical and material characterization techniques to understand protein functionality.
- Advancing circular bioeconomy in the alternative protein industry: Use byproducts and waste material from agriculture (oilseed meal, for example) to produce new food ingredients and develop biopolymers for use in sustainable packaging, wood adhesive and other polymer applications.
In a project funded in part by Manitoba Crop Alliance, we are working with sunflower meal from the commercial oil extraction process. One of the biggest challenges with sunflower meal is that it contains chlorogenic acid, which makes the meal green. This chlorogenic acid will co-extract during traditional protein extraction methods. If you bake something with the sunflower protein, it turns green due to a reaction between chlorogenic acid and amino acid.
In this project we developed two new protein extraction methods where we can get rid of those colour compounds and produce an off-white colour sunflower protein. This work focuses on developing protein ingredients and using the remaining material (cellulose and lignin) for value-added applications.
Then we will look at how sunflower protein can compete with other proteins. Right now, the plant protein market is dominated by soy and pea protein to a certain extent. The oil is still the main component, but if we can get a food commodity from the sunflower meal it will increase the value of the crop for farmers.
What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?
Farmer based funding is huge. This is the second time I have received farmer-based funding for value-added research. To see that farmers are interested in value-added opportunities is encouraging. You can increase primary production to a certain level, but eventually you will hit a ceiling, right? When you cannot go beyond that, you must generate more income from the existing resources you have. That is how you advance the industry, not just by trying to increase yields, but by generating value for the other components.
How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?
If we can commercialize sunflower protein, farmers will get additional value for sunflowers, not just for the oil. If everything goes well for this project, we will get the sunflower protein as a protein ingredient. That is one revenue stream. If we can break down the lignin and cellulose and produce the other platform chemicals, that can be another revenue source. It is important to increase yields, and it is important to focus on agronomic practices, but at the same time, the future will be based on value-added opportunities.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I play cricket. We have both competitive and recreational playing opportunities here in Winnipeg.
What gets you most excited about your work?
Working with trainees and seeing them become successful. I have 23 trainees, and they are extremely successful. For example, they have received national and international awards. American Oil Chemists’ Society, which is involved with the sunflower industry, has two major awards for students: the Thomas Smouse Memorial Fellowship and the Honored Student Award. For two consecutive years, one of my trainees won the Thomas Smouse Memorial Fellowship, and in 2025, another student won the Honored Student Award.
The Institute of Food Technologists, an international society, offers the Feeding Tomorrow Fund, a graduate scholarship program, and presents approximately 90-100 scholarships each year globally. Last year, Canadian students received 10, and my trainees got seven of them. For three consecutive years, my trainees have secured the grand prize in the graduate student competition at the Manitoba Materials Conference. I have also had trainees advance to lead international student societies (American Oil Che), which brings me great satisfaction to see them succeed.
What is your favourite food or meal to cook?
Authentic Sri Lankan food! I really enjoy cooking. I invited my entire research group for dinner recently and they really loved the authentic Sri Lankan foods we have.