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Prof A Mackie
Prof Anwesha Sarkar
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
What is the science behind healthier, protein containing snacks? How do food components interact with saliva to determine sensory experience?
This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and creative student with a background in biosciences, biochemistry, food science or related areas. You will be joining a dynamic and multidisciplinary team investigating the impact and mechanism of interaction between proteins and saliva on oral mucosa and texture perception.
The food industry is facing the strongest ever pressure to satisfy the consumer demand for healthier and more nutritious foods (e.g. low sugar/fat, high protein/fibre), and the most common way to achieve this is through reformulation of current recipes. However, without understanding the impact of interactions between food components (proteins in this case) and saliva, the reformulation can result in reduced consumer liking, particularly in texture perception. The student will use a series of physicochemical methods to understand the interactions between proteins and saliva and how these interactions may impact texture perception in both model and real food systems.
This project is part of the BBSRC-funded Mondelez International (a major food manufacturer) CTP, in partnership with the Norwich Research Park DTP and the KTN. The student would be based at the University of Leeds and spend at least three months at Mondelez International understanding how academic research is translated into a commercial environment. The research will therefore be directly translated into the design of novel, healthy foods. As part of a dispersed cohort of students within the Mondelez CTP, the student would also have the opportunity to share experiences with students at other academic hosts.
The student would receive training in protein characterisation using dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis, fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, tribology (lubrication) and many other practical skills. The successful applicant will benefit from the combined expertise of research groups at University of Leeds and Mondelez International, as well as a range of other training opportunities, making this project the perfect springboard for a future scientific career. Experience in sensory trials would be advantageous but not essential.
This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and creative student with a background in biosciences, biochemistry, food science or related areas. You will be joining a dynamic and multidisciplinary team investigating the impact and mechanism of interaction between proteins and saliva on oral mucosa and texture perception.
The food industry is facing the strongest ever pressure to satisfy the consumer demand for healthier and more nutritious foods (e.g. low sugar/fat, high protein/fibre), and the most common way to achieve this is through reformulation of current recipes. However, without understanding the impact of interactions between food components (proteins in this case) and saliva, the reformulation can result in reduced consumer liking, particularly in texture perception. The student will use a series of physicochemical methods to understand the interactions between proteins and saliva and how these interactions may impact texture perception in both model and real food systems.
This project is part of the BBSRC-funded Mondelez International (a major food manufacturer) CTP, in partnership with the Norwich Research Park DTP and the KTN. The student would be based at the University of Leeds and spend at least three months at Mondelez International understanding how academic research is translated into a commercial environment. The research will therefore be directly translated into the design of novel, healthy foods. As part of a dispersed cohort of students within the Mondelez CTP, the student would also have the opportunity to share experiences with students at other academic hosts.
The student would receive training in protein characterisation using dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis, fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, tribology (lubrication) and many other practical skills. The successful applicant will benefit from the combined expertise of research groups at University of Leeds and Mondelez International, as well as a range of other training opportunities, making this project the perfect springboard for a future scientific career. Experience in sensory trials would be advantageous but not essential.
Funding Notes
Funding for this four year BBSRC and industrially co-funded studentship PhD studentship is available to UK and EU nationals who meet the UK residency requirements. Students from EU countries who do not meet the UK residency requirements may still be eligible for a fees-only award. The studentship offers a stipend enhancement of £1,000 per month), research costs and tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. The stipend is only available for UK citizens and EU nationals who meet UK residency. Further details on eligibility for funding can be found on the UKRI website.
Project supervisors
Career overview
Professor Alan Mackie joined the Institute of Food Research in 1983, where he conducted significant research on interfacial layer composition, which was crucial in understanding the stabilisation of caseinate emulsions commonly used in food systems. His work evolved to focus on protein surfactant interactions, particularly how these interactions at interfaces influence colloidal stability, leading to phenomena such as flocculation and coalescence. He demonstrated that proteins and surfactants stabilise colloidal structures through incompatible mechanisms, resulting in phase separation at the interface, termed orogenic displacement. More recently, Professor Mackie has investigated colloidal behaviour in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, revealing how dietary fibre can restrict the diffusion of hydrolysis products from in vitro digested emulsions into intestinal mucus. His research employed multiple particle-tracking of latex beads to analyse the microstructure of intestinal mucus and established that the high negative charge from bile and free fatty acids enables mixed micelles and self-assembled systems to penetrate the mucus layer. He has also utilised MRI to explore the relationship between gastric behaviour and physiological responses, highlighting the importance of food matrix effects on nutrient release rates. His current research employs in vitro models of gastrointestinal digestion and absorption to evaluate the impact of food structure and dietary fibre on nutrient release, absorption, and metabolism. In 2016, Professor Mackie transitioned to the University of Leeds as Chair of Colloid Chemistry in the School of Food Science and Nutrition, and in 2017, he was appointed Head of the School. He has authored over 220 peer-reviewed publications, accumulating more than 11,000 citations and achieving an h-index of 57 according to Scopus.
Research interests
Professor Mackie''s principal research interest lies in tailoring food structures for improved health benefits. His research encompasses several areas, including the processing and formulation of protein systems to control nutrient release and regulate satiety. He investigates the role of dietary fibre in the upper gastrointestinal tract, particularly its interactions with bile acids and dietary phenolics, aiming to alter intestinal mucus permeability and the transport of food components into the colon. Additionally, he assesses structural and compositional factors that affect digestion and absorption kinetics in relation to disease risk factors. His laboratory is equipped with interfacial rheometers, surface tension apparatus, and both static and semi-dynamic simulations of upper gastrointestinal digestion, as well as Ussing chamber apparatus for determining mucosal interactions. Professor Mackie collaborates with various UK sponsors, including research councils and international funding agencies, as well as large national and international food companies.
Colloid Chemistry
Food Science
Gastrointestinal Digestion
Interfacial Properties
Protein Surfactant Interactions
Dietary Fibre
Nutrient Release
Mucosal Interactions
Hydrolysis
Emulsions
Colloidal Stability
Texture Manipulation
Intestinal Mucus
Nutrient Absorption
Food Structure
Health Benefits
Food Processing
Satiety Regulation
Disease Risk Factors
Food Colloids
Functional Biopolymers
Career overview
Professor Anwesha Sarkar is the Chair in Colloids and Surfaces at the University of Leeds, having joined the institution in September 2014. She serves as the Director of Research and Innovation for the School of Food Science and Nutrition and is the founder of MicroLub Ltd, a spin-out company from the University of Leeds. Before her tenure at Leeds, she worked for four years at Nestlé Global Research Centre in Lausanne and Nestlé Headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland. Her research career spans various academic institutions and industries across India, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Professor Sarkar holds a PhD in Food Technology from Massey University in New Zealand, an MS in Food Technology from CFTRI in India, and a BTech in Dairy Technology from WBUAFSc in India. She has been recognised with several awards for her contributions to the field, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Research and Development Award (2024) and the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) McBain Medal (2024). Professor Sarkar has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is a co-inventor of eight patents. She is actively involved in mentoring postgraduate researchers, including PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have gone on to work in leading industries.
Research interests
Professor Sarkar''s research lies at the crossroads of experimental colloid science and human health, focusing on understanding the mechanisms and governing principles of multiphasic colloidal structure-physiology interactions to address significant health challenges. Her experimental approaches encompass mechanical measurements (tribology, rheology, nanotribology using atomic force microscopy), adsorption techniques (quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring), imaging (confocal laser scanning microscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy), scattering (light, X-ray), electrophoresis, and in vitro oral-gastrointestinal models, extending to in vivo human trials related to sensory and satiety. She is an editorial board member for journals such as Food Hydrocolloids, Tribology Letters, and the Journal of Texture Studies. Professor Sarkar has received several accolades for her research, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Research and Development Award (2024), Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) McBain Medal (2024), and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Food Group Junior Medal (2019). She has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is a co-inventor of eight patents. Professor Sarkar is frequently invited to deliver keynote lectures at national and international conferences in food and soft matter areas. Key research themes include oral processing and tribology, microstructure and gastrointestinal digestion, and edible delivery systems. Current research projects involve targeted nutrition for older adults, mouthfeel testing of alternative and dairy products, and the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC).
Oral Tribology
Biomimetic Surface Design
Emulsions
Hydrogels
Microgels
Protein Complexes
Alternative Proteins
Sensory-Satiety Relationships
Multiscale Imaging
Force Measurement
Experimental Colloid Science
Human Health
Colloidal Structure-Physiology Interactions
Mechanical Measurements
Tribology
Rheology
Nanotribology
Quartz Crystal Microbalance
Imaging Techniques
Scattering
Electrophoresis
In Vitro Oral-Gastrointestinal Model
In Vivo Human Trials
Edible Delivery Systems
Food Colloids
Functional Biopolymers
Food Safety
Food Security
Global Health
Obesity
Cancer
Metabolic Disease.
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