Where Analytical Science Meets Agriculture

The Prenni Lab uses analytical chemistry to explore the connections among soil, plants, food, and health. We develop and apply mass spectrometry methods to measure molecules in complex agricultural and biological samples, revealing chemical changes that might otherwise be missed.

These measurements help us investigate how plants respond to their environments, how agricultural practices influence food composition, and how the chemistry of food relates to biological responses. By revealing these connections, our work provides evidence that can inform more sustainable agriculture and deepen our understanding of the relationship between planetary and human health.

Read Dr. Prenni's perspective on why analytical science matters.

Our Research

The Prenni Laboratory values collaborative interdisciplinary research. We bring analytical chemistry expertise and advanced mass spectrometry capabilities to interdisciplinary teams investigating challenges in agriculture, food science, and human health.

Together, we study how growing conditions, microbes, and processing shape food composition, and how those chemical differences relate to biological function. Major themes include standardizing how we analyze food, advancing analytical science, connecting food chemistry to human health, and exploring the chemistry of fermentation.

Explore Our Research

Explore the Lab

Meet the Team

Our team includes graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, research staff, and undergraduate researchers.

Our Team

Technology & Resources

Our instrumentation, core facility partners, and the public repositories where we share data and code.

Resources

Join Us

We are always on the lookout for new team members who share our values and love mass spectrometry.

Opportunities

Publications

Recent work from the lab spans standardized foodomics methods, multi-laboratory mass spectrometry studies, precision nutrition, and plant root exudate chemistry. Browse our featured papers or see the complete list on Google Scholar.

View All Publications

Contact Information

mailing address

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

phone

e-mail jprenni@colostate.edu