Biorefinery approach for functional ingredientsMicroalgae biotechnology has advanced rapidly as a sustainable source of functional foods, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and other high-value products. Diatoms are important microalgae and promising feedstocks for biotechnological applications due to their high biomass productivity, high-value metabolites, and environmental tolerance. A biorefinery is a sustainable approach to convert biomass into various valuable products. Microalgae biorefinery has become increasingly significant as an alternative bioprocess technology
Investigating the effects of inulin-based fibresSupplementation 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.
Atmospheric freeze-drying projectThis 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.
Produce prescription projectIncreasing 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.
Encapsulation of oil-based extractsBaker & 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.
Metabolic engineering of yeastThis 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.
Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies CentreSustainable 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.
Cold-plasma treated SpirulinaThis 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.
Improving plant proteins functionality and bioactivityThis 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.
Quality of herbal weight loss supplementsThis 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.
Development of precision nutrition strategiesThe 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).
Expanding Australia’s truffle industryTruffles 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).
Understanding the ‘art’ of grain dryingThe 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.
Food quality and nutritional analysisThis project concerns the validation of claims on the levels of multiple phytochemicals in a range of foods and food products, and variations through the production to consumer pipelines.
New future food protein productionThe specific protein content of dairy and plant-based milks has a strong influence on their taste, mouthfeel, and health and nutritional properties. This commercial in-confidence project is exploring new healthy protein opportunities for expanding Sanitarium’s range of non-dairy, plant-based beverages. It is expected that this initial proof of concept project will lead to small-scale protein production.
Bioactive components for value-add to Australian artichokesThis project is applying chemical fingerprinting technology based on a combination of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) together with chemometric data analysis to better understand the natural chemical compounds in various Australian artichokes.
Enhancing plant-based food functionalityThe project aims to improve the properties of a range of products, including the functionality of Barista plant-based milk (Alternative Dairy Company), by developing a comprehensive understanding of the effects of processing parameters on the desired product properties.
Scaling up Mg-based particle production via spray-dryingThe project is supporting the establishment of a large scale production of high purity Mg-based particles in NSW and WA, sourced from the waste bitterns of solar salt operations in Karratha, and is developing a new strategy in synthesising novel mesoporous Mg-based particles via spray drying.
FoodSwitch connectFoodSwitch Connect is a web-based service that provides listings of vendors and their menu items. The vendors' foods are being profiled and rated for their healthiness using FoodSwitch's science-based algorithms, which is providing procurement teams the means to identify and source healthier foods for workplace catering
Analysis of food manufacturing facility needsThis scoping project involves high-level analysis of Australian food manufacturing facility needs, opportunities and challenges. It reviews current global best practice in advanced food manufacturing; considers current and intended Australian processes and facilities; and provides scoping for future CRC manufacturing research.
