Peter G. Chiarelli has been awarded an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative predoctoral fellowship from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture for his research on Georgia-caught cannonball jellyfish.
Chiarelli, a doctoral candidate in the University of Georgia’s Department of Food Science and Technology, is spearheading efforts to create a domestic market for collagen peptide powders derived from cannonball jellyfish.
“As far as I am aware, we are still the only ones in the United States working with jellyfish … This is our field,” Chiarelli said.
The collagen peptide powder has a wide range of prospective uses, and Chiarelli is testing the use of the raw material in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements.
Kevin Mis Solval, food science and technology associate professor and Chiarelli’s advisor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, encouraged Chiarelli to apply for this fellowship and guided him through the application process after noticing his great passion for this research project.