or
Continue with FacebookLooking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here.
This project is no longer listed on FindAPhD.com and may not be available.
Click here to search FindAPhD.com for PhD studentship opportunities
Prof P Fryer
Dr S Bakalis
Applications accepted all year round
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
In recent decades, health related diseases, such as obesity and hypertension, have reached epidemic levels. It has been recently estimated that 60% of the UK population will be obese by 2050. Thus, there is an urgent need to use all available
technological developments to engineer new foods to provide advanced health benefits to consumers which are safe to eat.
Intelligent structures are required that will respond to the in vivo GI environment to deliver predetermined profiles of macronutrients and bioactive molecules (e.g. vitamins) to designated locations in the GI tract. Despite much past research, our
knowledge of the physical processes taking place in vivo and the effect of food structure on the performance of foods is lacking, yet is vital for engineering such intelligent food structures.
In the small intestine a range of complex motions are used to propel food and mix it with digestive enzymes. Neither the flow field nor the effect of convective mixing in digestive reactions are well understood yet.
Thus, this project will aim to understand the effect of combined momentum and mass transport on apparent digestive reaction, release of nutrients and availability for absorption. A range of analytical and numerical models will be used to build an
in silica model of digestion which will be validated against an existing in vitro model. Efforts will focus in structured water-continuous systems, where the non-Newtonian viscosity of digesta will not remain constant, as it is expected that as digestive
reactions proceed, viscosity would be reduced dramatically.
The objectives of this project are:
• Characterize flow patterns in the small intestine using analytical and/or
numerical methods
• Characterize convective mixing and the effect in digestive reactions and
release of nutrients
• Build and validate against experimental data an in-silica model of digestions
To find out more about studying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham, including full details of the research undertaken in each school, the funding opportunities for each subject, and guidance on making your application, you can now order your copy of the new Doctoral Research Prospectus, at: www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/drp.aspx
technological developments to engineer new foods to provide advanced health benefits to consumers which are safe to eat.
Intelligent structures are required that will respond to the in vivo GI environment to deliver predetermined profiles of macronutrients and bioactive molecules (e.g. vitamins) to designated locations in the GI tract. Despite much past research, our
knowledge of the physical processes taking place in vivo and the effect of food structure on the performance of foods is lacking, yet is vital for engineering such intelligent food structures.
In the small intestine a range of complex motions are used to propel food and mix it with digestive enzymes. Neither the flow field nor the effect of convective mixing in digestive reactions are well understood yet.
Thus, this project will aim to understand the effect of combined momentum and mass transport on apparent digestive reaction, release of nutrients and availability for absorption. A range of analytical and numerical models will be used to build an
in silica model of digestion which will be validated against an existing in vitro model. Efforts will focus in structured water-continuous systems, where the non-Newtonian viscosity of digesta will not remain constant, as it is expected that as digestive
reactions proceed, viscosity would be reduced dramatically.
The objectives of this project are:
• Characterize flow patterns in the small intestine using analytical and/or
numerical methods
• Characterize convective mixing and the effect in digestive reactions and
release of nutrients
• Build and validate against experimental data an in-silica model of digestions
To find out more about studying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham, including full details of the research undertaken in each school, the funding opportunities for each subject, and guidance on making your application, you can now order your copy of the new Doctoral Research Prospectus, at: www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/drp.aspx
Funding Notes
Funding: BBSRC DTG (Open to UK/EU applicants only). A good 2(i) or higher Honours degree or equivalent in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering or Food Science is required. If you are interested please contact Professor Peter Fryer [Email Address Removed] or Dr Serafim Bakalis [Email Address Removed] for more information.
Open Days
Project supervisors
Career overview
Professor Peter Fryer holds an MA and MEng in Chemical Engineering from Jesus College, Cambridge, obtained in 1981, and a PhD from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Cambridge, completed in 1986. He is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. His primary research interest lies in the hygienic design of food processes, food structure development, and food manufacture, focusing on applying chemical engineering principles to address challenges in the food industry. This industry prioritises product safety alongside process safety, leading to research on hygienic process design and ensuring product sterility. Professor Fryer has collaborated with Professor Z Zhang to develop a novel probe for measuring the forces required to clean surfaces, which is aimed at refining cleaning procedures. His team is also investigating safety assessment methods through enzyme measurements and the development of mathematical models for food processing. Currently, he is leading a significant project valued at £3.6 million, supported by various industry partners, to create more environmentally friendly cleaning methods. In addition to his research, Professor Fryer serves as a Council Member for BBSRC, is an editor for ""Food and Bioproducts Processing,"" and is on the editorial boards of several journals, including the ""Journal of Food Engineering"" and ""Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies."" He represents IChemE at the International Conference on Engineering and Food.
Research interests
Professor Fryer''s main research interest is in the hygienic design of food processes, food structure development, and food manufacture. The aim of his research is to apply the principles of chemical engineering to the problems of the food industry, where product safety is as crucial as process safety. His team studies the hygienic design of processes and the assurance of product sterility. They have developed a novel probe for measuring the forces needed to clean surfaces, and are working to use this understanding to better define cleaning procedures. The team is also investigating methods to assess safety through enzyme measurements and the development of mathematical models for processes. Currently, they are engaged in a large (£3.6 million) project, supported by various industry partners, to design more environmentally friendly cleaning methods.
Hygienic Design
Food Processes
Food Structure Development
Food Manufacture
Chemical Engineering
Product Safety
Process Safety
Cleaning Procedures
Enzyme Measurements
Mathematical Models
Environmental Cleaning
Food Industry
Surface Coatings
Mechanical Cleaning
Coffee Roasting
Particle Motion
Antimicrobial Coatings
Heat Treatment
Instant Coffee Production
Food Engineering
Cleaning Performance
Career overview
Professor Serafim Bakalis is an Honorary Professor in Structured Products at the University of Birmingham, where he has been a University Academic Fellow since 2005. He holds a PhD in Food Engineering from Rutgers University, obtained in 1999, and also earned an MSc in Food Engineering from the same institution in 1996. Prior to that, he completed a BSc in Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens in 1994. Professor Bakalis''s research focuses on engineering-related aspects, particularly the effects of processing on microstructure control and the extension of traditional unit operations to enhance the performance of various consumer product formulations. He is currently the Principal Investigator of an EPSRC/DTI-funded project aimed at developing low-salt products that maintain their sensory attributes. Throughout his career, he has developed a wide range of skills and techniques while interacting with leading industries, all while contributing to teaching and administration within the School of Chemical Engineering. Professor Bakalis is also actively involved in professional organisations, including the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the Greek Chamber of Engineers, and serves on the Scientific Committee of the Food Faraday Knowledge Transfer Network.
Research interests
Professor Serafim Bakalis''s research spans a range of engineering-related aspects with a focus on understanding the effect of processing on microstructure control. He extends traditional unit operations to include the performance of formulations of various consumer products. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator of an EPSRC/DTI-funded project aimed at delivering low-salt products without compromising their sensory attributes. His doctoral supervision includes topics such as the use of positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) to investigate mixing processes, characterisation of thermal processes using time temperature integrators, development of X-Ray microCT for understanding the effect of formulation and processing in porous structures, modelling the performance of complex microstructures in the mouth, and electroencephalography-based investigation of sensory responses to food consumption.
Food Engineering
Microstructure Control
Processing Techniques
Consumer Products
Positron Emission Particle Tracking
Mixing Processes
Thermal Processes
Time Temperature Integrators
X-Ray MicroCT
Porous Structures
Complex Microstructures
Electroencephalography
Sensory Responses
Formulation Performance
Find a scholarship to fund your dream Masters
Sign in to view and filter all scholarship opportunities
or
Continue with Facebook