“Influence of casein ingredient type and process design on properties of protein hydrogels”

Walsh Scholarship reference number 2023271

Background

Irish citizens continue to suffer from malnutrition despite our relative prosperity. These issues afflict vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly and the ill. An example case is cancer cachexia (CC), in which cancer treatments and altered dietary patterns result in muscle wasting (sarcopenia). Here, CC will be a test case for developing a novel milk-derived nutritional hydrogel, designed for patients with early-stage CC. Current dietary strategies for CC include high-protein beverages and energy-dense diets but compliance rates in those afflicted with CC can be low, due to taste changes, poor appetite and early satiety. The proposed technological solution is a thermo-reversible casein based hydrogel, which can function as a natural delivery vehicle for proteins and micronutrients. These unique hydrogels solidify at room or refrigeration temperatures but, similarly to butter, melt when exposed to warmer temperatures. This project is funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and is a large project co-ordinated by Dr. Tom O’Callaghan at University College Cork.  This project will involve the development and scale-up of high protein ingredients to produce products with the ability to form cold-set gels through the use of novel processing technologies and process analytical tools. The products developed will be robustly assessed for stability, physicochemical and rheological properties and will be passed forward to project collaborators for in-vitro and in-vivo assessment as part of a clinical trial. The successful candidate will be based full-time at the Teagasc Food Research Centre in Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland and will be a registered post-graduate student at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC.

Requirements

Applications are invited from postgraduates holding or expecting a First Class Honours or Second Class Honours Grade One degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Agricultural Science, Science or a related discipline. Applicants with a relevant Masters degree are also eligible to apply. The successful candidate should be highly self-motivated and work well as part of a wider research team. Laboratory experience and pilot-plant experience is desirable, but not essential. For applicants whose first language is not English, the English language requirements are available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/comparison/english/postgraduate/.

Award

The scholarship Funding is €25,000 per annum plus University fees of up to a maximum of €6,000 per annum and is tenable for 4 years.

Further information

There will be a requirement and opportunities throughout the programme for professional development training and international conference attendance. It is envisaged that the successful candidate will begin October 2024 and will be primarily based at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland under the supervision of Dr Noel McCarthy, Teagasc. Email: noel.mccarthy@teagasc.ie Phone: +353 2542202 and Dr. Tom O’Callaghan, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork. Email: tom_ocallaghan@ucc.ie Phone: +353 21 4902762.