Metabolomic and proteomic investigations of the fermentation process of worts produced using various types of malt and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains. (RDF17-R/APP/USHER)

This project is an extension of work carried out by a previous successful PhD student, in collaboration with Dr Georgios Koutsidis and Prof Gary Black, on the effect of Maillard reaction products in various types of malt (produced by different kilning procedures) on the fermentation performance of a commercially used yeast strain and also a laboratory yeast strain for which the genome sequence is available. The study will focus on the effect of malt type, fermentation temperature and yeast strain on the production of key flavour compounds. Two specific pathways, higher alcohol and ester formation (i.e., ethyl hexanoate; ethyl octanoate; isobutyl acetate; 2-phenylethanol; 3-methylbutanol), are of major interest with regards to flavour production constituting the main focus of the study.

The successful candidate will use proteomic, metabolomic and targeted analysis approaches to elucidate protein expression in yeast cells, at defined times and conditions during fermentation and allow the biochemical pathways responsible for the production of volatile flavour compounds to be investigated. The overall aim of the project is to elucidate variations in flavour compound formation during fermentation and relate such variations to genomic, metabolic state and process parameters.

Overall the study will have significant industrial impact as it will investigate how raw materials and process parameters affect the synthesis of flavour compounds in the final product, thus enhancing knowledge and potentially reducing R&D costs incurred by the brewing industry.

Eligibility and How to Apply
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required (evidence required by 1 August 2017).

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.
Start Date: 2 October 2017

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