Professor Marciane Magnani, Professor of Food Science at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Brazil, has been named as the winner of the Basil Jarvis Food Security & Innovation Award.
The prize is part of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards 2026, which celebrate the brightest minds in the field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.
The Basil Jarvis Food Security and Innovation Award recognises outstanding achievements in applied microbiology that advance global food security and sustainable innovation. It celebrates professionals, researchers, and innovators whose work has delivered tangible, real-world impact in food safety, food security, and sustainable agri-food systems.
The award recognises applied microbiology that has moved beyond research or pilot stages to improve food production, enhance nutritional outcomes, strengthen food system resilience, and support sustainable industrial processes.
Professor Magnani said: "Receiving an award that brings together food security and innovation is particularly meaningful to me, as these two dimensions have guided much of my scientific journey. I see this recognition not only as a personal achievement, but also as a reflection of the collective work of my students, collaborators, and colleagues in Brazil and internationally. I hope it also helps bring greater visibility to the excellent science being developed in regions that are not always at the centre of international research."
Professor Magnani is a Full Professor of Food Science at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Brazil. She is a researcher in Food Microbiology, with a strong focus on food safety, predictive microbiology, fermented and functional foods, and microbiome-related approaches. Her research integrates microbial ecology, fermentation, and One Health perspectives, with particular emphasis on the valorization of native biodiversity and sustainable food systems.
Prof. Magnani has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and serves as Associate or Executive Editor for several high-impact journals, including Food Research International and Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Letters in Applied Microbiology, an AMI publication.
She is currently the Coordinator in Food Science at CAPES/Ministry of Education in Brazil and is a CNPq/Ministry of Science and Technology Research Productivity Fellow A. Prof. Magnani is also a FAO/WHO roster expert in Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and a member of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meetings on the use of omics-based technologies, actively contributing to international scientific committees and collaborative networks across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Nominations are now open for the 2027 Horizon Awards, celebrating outstanding achievement and impact across applied microbiology.
For 2027, the Horizon Awards portfolio is expanding with three new Early Career Excellence Awards, recognising emerging researchers making an impact in environmental conservation, food security and innovation, and public health. The established WH Pierce Prize, the Christiana Figueres Policy to Practice Award, and the Dorothy Jones Diversity and Inclusion Achievement Award remain open to researchers across career stages, with criteria that allow early career researchers to compete on an equal footing.
The winners of all 12 Horizon Awards will be announced and celebrated at the LAM ECR Symposium at Queen Mary University of London in June 2027, bringing together established leaders and the next generation of applied microbiologists for a celebration of achievement across our community.
Know someone whose work deserves recognition? Nominate them for a 2027 Horizon Award.
Notes to editors