Internship OT-23044
Kinetic study of the formation of protein deposits on surfaces using rheo-microscopy
35000 Rennes
INRAE presentation
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.
Work environment, missions and activities
Fouling is the accumulation of solid elements from the treated liquid on a surface, under the action of thermal gradients and as a function of flow. The resulting fouling deposits have a significant impact on operating performance and product quality for the dairy industry. Their development is notably linked to the denaturation/aggregation of soluble proteins in the liquid stream and/or on the surface of equipment. Up to now, the studies available in the literature have been based on an “off-line” analysis of solid deposits, and therefore fail to shed light on the physico-chemical dynamics that characterize the different stages of fouling and the environmental parameters (e.g. temperature, shear rate) that influence them.
In this context, the ENTEVAP research project (2022-25) has been initiated at Unité Mixte de Recherche Science et Technologie du Lait et de l’Oeuf (UMR STLO). Its aim is to identify fouling mechanisms in falling film evaporators used to concentrate dairy products, using a microscopic/microfluidic approach. An original methodology has been developed to observe the accumulation of protein deposits on a surface, using a rheometer equipped with a glass plate.
The aim of the proposed internship (6 months) is to analyze the influence of different parameters, in particular shear rate, on deposit formation by improving the experimental methodology. The first step is to adapt the experimental methodology by using a camera installed on the rheometer. Secondly, the evolution of the rheological behavior of protein solutions and the growth of protein deposits will be observed and characterized.
Training and skills
Students in process engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry
INRAE's life quality
By joining our teams, you benefit from
- 2.5 leaves per montth
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.
How to apply
I send my CV and my motivation letter
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to the Civil Service Code, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear. > Find out more: fonction publique.gouv.fr website (in French)