PhD Studentship in Food Biotechnology

Project title:  Utilisation of fungal biomass to develop whole cut meat analogues

Supervisors:  Professor Dimitris Charalampopoulos, Dr Afroditi Chatzifragkou

Project Overview:  Microbial proteins provide a sustainable and nutritious alternative to traditional animal-based proteins and are attracting significant research and commercial interest. The aim of the project is to advance our fundamental understanding of developing whole-cut meat analogues utilising protein-rich fungal biomass. The project will investigate the impact of the fermentation process, growth media and formulation strategies on food quality, including textural and organoleptic properties. The project is funded through the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, which involves several UK and overseas academic partners, as well as industrial partners.

The research will involve: (i) screening of yeast and moulds of GRAS status in terms of growth characterises, protein yield and chemical composition; (ii) optimising the growth media and semi-solid fermentation process to achieve high biomass yield, suitable textural properties and meaty flavour generation; (iii) conducting reformulation studies to develop meat-like fibrous structure products; and (iv) evaluating the cooking quality of the meat analogue products.

The student will be trained in a multi-disciplinary environment spanning several areas including microbial fermentation, chemical analysis, protein functionality, food reformulation and food quality. The project will be supported by state-of-the art facilities, including the Food Processing Centre which includes a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) food pilot plant, Sensory Science Centre, Flavour Centre and Chemical Analysis Facility.

This PhD project is a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic scientist to work in an innovative and multidisciplinary environment and advance the current state-of-the-art in microbial-based foods.

You will have:

• Good understanding of microbial fermentation, food formulation and food quality assessment
• Understanding of food ingredient functionality
• Good project management and time management skills
• Strong communication skills

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelor Degree / Master’s Degree in Food Biotechnology / Food Science / Food Technology or a strongly-related discipline
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is only open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants

Funding Details:   

• Starts 1^st October 2025
• 3-year award
• Funding covers UK/Republic of Ireland tuition fees plus UKRI stipend of £20,780.

How to apply:  

To apply click Apply for a Programme and create your account, and use the link sent by email to start the application process.   You will need to apply for a PhD in Food Biotechnology at the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, quoting DRC25-072 in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application. You need to submit a personal statement (limit to 500 words), but you do not need to submit a research proposal.

Application Deadline: 12 July 2025

Further Enquiries:  

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. 

For further details please contact:

• Professor Dimitris Charalampopoulos, d.charalampopoulos@reading.ac.uk
• Dr Afroditi Chatzifragkou, a.chatzifragkou@reading.ac.uk

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