PhD Studentship - EPSRC Supported EngD: Reliable Edible Collagen Film Processing

Collagens are some of the most naturally abundant proteins and have been used for many years as edible films and coatings providing unique sensory properties where they are used. Devro plc, industry partner of this Engineering Doctorate project, has a long history of manufacturing a variety of food products but is best known for sausage casings where it is arguably the global market leader. This project will look to develop areas of better understanding within the collagen film markets but will feed into other applications of interest to Devro where the candidate will have significant influence in future developments and successes.

Collagen casings and films are produced in a semi-continuous process starting with the extraction from biological source to being collected on huge reels holding kilometres of endless tubular edible film or flat film. Whilst Devro is a world leader in films and casings, it also has food science and engineering at its core and continually looks to improve, optimise, and innovate.

This Engineering Doctorate will focus on the gel stage of the collagen casing process, between extraction and film extrusion. At this stage, the collagen, in aqueous dispersion, is conditioned through controlling ionic strength, pH, mixing, undergoing heating/cooling cycles, etc, and further ingredients are added to form the gel system for extrusion. The interplay between the conditioning factors controls the quality of the gel system, which in turn is linked to end product quality. The Doctorate Student will interrogate the existing process, characterise the material properties of the gel system and generate a deep understanding of the structure-property-processing interactions of the gel manufacturing system. The learnings will contribute to leaner manufacturing processes, reduce environmental footprint, and grow market share for a clean label product.

This industrial-academia research project will be based at Devro plc, a global leader in the market of edible films. Devro was founded as a new business of Johnson & Johnson in the 1950’s following the research and development of collagen casings. Devro is multinational, having manufacturing sites in the UK, US, Netherlands, China, Czech Republic, and Australia. The majority of its research and development is based in Moodiesburn, just outside Glasgow. However, the student would be encouraged and expected to visit a number of Devro global manufacturing sites during the course of the programme.

To be eligible for EPSRC funding candidates must have at least a 2(1) in an Engineering or Scientific discipline or a 2(2) plus MSc. To apply please email your cv and a letter of motivation to cdt-formulation@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Currently we are only able to accept UK nationals

For details on the Engineering Doctorate scheme visit the homepage. Deadline: 24th Feb 2023 or earlier

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