Research projects - Future Food Systems

Research projects

P3-026In Progress

Evaluating the acute effect of consuming inulin-based fibres on gut transit time and metabolic biochemistry in adults

Supplementation of diet with inulin extracts has been shown to promote gut health and may play a role in alleviating various noncommunicable diseases such as obesity and hypercholesterolaemia. This study aims to investigate the effects of inulin-based fibres derived from artichokes with varying chain lengths on the metabolic profiles of human urine and plasma using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolic profiling approach.

P3-024In Progress

Development of Ultrasound and Infrared radiation assisted Atmospheric Freeze dryer

This research project aims to address the challenges faced by the vacuum freeze-drying industry, such as high operational costs and prolonged drying times. The focus is on the application of direct ultrasound in Atmospheric Freeze Drying (AFD) to enhance water diffusivity and improve drying efficiency. The research will involve modelling and fabricating a prototype of an Ultrasound-assisted AFD system. The effectiveness of this system will be assessed through the drying kinetics analysis and physical, and chemical characterization of apples and eggplants.

P3-004In Progress

Produce Prescription – an innovative ‘Food is Medicine’ intervention to improve health among people with type 2 diabetes

Increasing consumption of fresh produce is an important focus for food growers and retailers, but it has been challenging to achieve. Food is Medicine programs like produce prescription offer a potential new area of partnership between healthcare and food growers/retailers, where healthcare dollars can be spent directly on paying or subsiding healthy produce for individuals with diet-related conditions. Hence food industry is very interested to support this research.

P3-023In Progress

Encapsulation of oil-based extracts for food flavouring applications

Baker & Co will work closely with the research team at UNSW Sydney through an industry PhD project to develop new formulations suitable for spray drying of oil-based extracts for food applications. The outcomes of this project will enable Baker & Co to potentially develop a new product range of their flavour ingredients that are more suitable for the export market.

P3-015In Progress

Metabolic engineering of yeast to improve the nutritional and functional properties of dairy proteins

This project will result in a high throughput platform for screening thousands of microbial strains and precision fermentation conditions to identify those producing correctly phosphorylated proteins. Selected phosphoproteins will undergo further quality control testing, including dairy product prototyping and digestibility studies, to identify promising new precision fermented dairy products.

FIPWA_new

P3-014In Progress

Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies Centre

Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre Project is a collaboration between WA State Government, the CRC Entity and Murdoch University. SIFT will be an open access facility that food companies can use to research and develop new products.

P3-021In Progress

Cold-plasma treated Spirulina

This project will focus on the use of cold plasma as a chemical-free method to maintain the quality, safety, and shelf life of fresh algal paste, specifically, the “superfood” fresh Spirulina. Spirulina is a biomass of cyanobacteria that can be consumed by humans and currently sold in dried form.

P3-022In Progress

Improvement of functionality and bioactivity of plant proteins conjugated with real food systems using ultrasonic-assisted Maillard Conjugation

This project will focus on developing protocols to produce Maillard conjugates of non-traditional plant proteins from locally grown seaweed by developing an alternative method of conjugation using ultrasonic treatment.

P3-020In Progress

Quality of herbal Weight Loss Supplements (WLS): composition, safety and antioxidant capacity

This project aims to assess the quality and safety of Australian WLS prior to efficacy study in clinical trials. Initially, analyses and quantification of the chemical composition were conducted in the collected supplements.

P3-019In Progress

Development of Precision Nutrition Strategies Using 1H-NMR Metabolomics

The main objective of the PhD project is to obtain detailed molecular phenotypes of WA fresh produce (olive oils and edible fruit) using spectroscopic technologies available to the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC).

P3-005In Progress

Australian truffle: truffle cultivation for industry expansion

Truffles are an expensive mushroom due to their distinctive taste and aroma. In Australia, the truffle industry relies on one species, which has a limited three-month season. The aim of this project is to assess two new truffle species for Australian conditions, including inoculation and cultivation techniques, environmental conditions (e.g., climate, growing medium, water), and suitable host trees (e.g., Pinus species).

P3-016In Progress

Understanding the ‘art’ of grain drying for process and product improvement

The project is developing a fundamental understanding of the relationship between process parameters influencing the properties of wheat grains in grain dryers during the manufacturing process of Weet-Bix.