The Doctoral Network “Edible Soft Matter” (ESM), funded by the European Union in the frame of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funding programme is an international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral network gathering leading experts in basic and applied soft matter and food sciences.
The objective of this 48-month project, starting from 1st March 2025 is to train and develop the employability of a new generation of young researchers, regulators, consultants and project leaders by providing them with a unique expertise in the design, production and quality assessment of innovative plant-based food products.
The consortium includes eleven Beneficiaries from seven countries (including three from the non- academic sector) who will each recruit at least one Doctoral Candidate and twelve Associated Partners (including four from the non-academic sector) with worldwide recognised and complementary expertise.
18 Doctoral Candidates will be recruited and trained in the frame of the ESM project. Through the implementation of an Individual Research Project (IRP) and the network-wide training activities, characterized by a strong involvement of the non-academic partners of the project, the Doctoral Candidates will develop the hard and soft skills needed to face the current challenges related to food and environmental transitions.

The ESM project is organised in seven work-packages (WP) including four research-based WP and three transversal WP dedicated respectively to Doctoral candidates training (WP5), Communication, dissemination & exploitation of the project results (WP6) and to Project management and coordination (WP7). The research-based WP unravel basic scientific questions to address the essential food-related research objectives: Plant-based Ingredients (WP1), Assemblies and Interactions (WP2), Multiscale Structuring (WP3) and Towards Innovative Manufactured Foods (WP4). The scientific objectives of the project will be achieved through the implementation of 18 Individual Research Projects (IRP).

IRP17: PhD position in "Proteins in a pressure vessel: Exploiting the pressure-temperature-flow process window"

Supervision:

• Main supervisor: Prof. Dr. Patrick Rühs
• Co-supervisor(s): Prof. Dr. Peter Fischer 

Objectives: 

• Unravel the structuring mechanisms of plant-based proteins under pressure
• Role of non-protein components on food matrix
• 3D cast/print/handle of proteins under pressure

Expected results: 

• Protein structuring mechanisms at elevated temperatures and pressures
• Pressure-temperature-shear phase diagram for protein structuring
• Molecular gastronomy under pressure

Planned secondments (host institution, supervisor, duration, topic) 

• KU Leuven, Food design techniques
• Bel, Plant protein knowledge