The effect of the entire food matrix in the digestibility and the biological functionality of foods are largely unknown, especially in relevant complex systems. However, to understand the mechanisms underpinning the breakdown of food during digestion is key to the design of foods that would deliver nutrients at the right place at the right time. This project, depending on the interest of the student, will study the material science of food and its components during gastro intestinal transit, using chemistry, microscopy, and rheology. If interested in biological sciences, the project will dive in on the absorption of the molecules using models of the upper intestinal tract, such as Caco-2 cells, using the advanced in vitro approaches.
The project will involve a literature review, the identification and characterization of the complex matrix of interest, and then, depending on the candidate’s interest, a selection and optimization of macroscopic and microscopic structure characterization techniques, for macro and micro-scale structure characterization, laboratory analytical testing, and cell culture work.
