A joint PhD scholarship is available for an exciting project based at the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham.
Project title: Understanding astringency perception to improve food quality: A novel sensory phenotype, salivary protein, oral microbiome and genetics-based approach.
Preventable metabolic conditions, such as obesity, can be tackled by creating healthier but desirable foods. Negative sensory attributes such as astringency and bitterness drive food choice and are important to many food industries (e.g. tea, wine and chocolate). This project aims to identify links between inter-individual perception of astringency and bitterness; salivary proteome; genetics; and oral-microflora with the use of MassARRAY gene-profiling, novel phenotyping and segmentation bases, biophysical characterisation and new microbiome techniques, e.g. 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
The project provides training for a PhD candidate in genetic and proteomic analysis, sensory science, oral microbiomics, physical aspects of protein binding and predictive modelling.
Supervision by University of Adelaide A/Prof Sue Bastian, co-supervision by University of Adelaide Dr Tina Bianco-Miotto, University of Nottingham A/Prof Gleb Yakubov and University of Nottingham Dr Tristan Dew.
Contact Sue Bastian by email for more details regarding this exciting research opportunity.
