Master's Degree (Year 2) of Heat-Induced Denaturation, Aggregation, and Fouling Phenomena in Pea–Whey Protein Mixtures

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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

This internship will take place within the Joint Research Unit Matériaux et Transformations (UMR 8207 – UMET, https://umet.univ-lille.fr/), and more specifically within the Processes at Interfaces and Hygiene of Materials team (PIHM, https://umet.univ-lille.fr/PIHM/index.php?lang=fr) located in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, which develops scientific knowledge to improve hygiene control, process performance, and product quality in the agri-food industry. 

Context: The demand for plant-based protein beverages has increased in recent years, driven by factors including lactose intolerance, health awareness, dietary preferences, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Blending plant and dairy proteins in a single formulation may provide complementary nutritional and functional properties, making plant-dairy protein mixtures a promising option for the beverage industry. Heat treatments, including pasteurization and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processing, are commonly applied during industrial processing to ensure the safety and stability of protein products. However, these processes often lead to the formation of fouling deposits on heat exchangers. The fouling process and its subsequent removal are highly complex phenomena, influenced by a number of factors including surface characteristics, processing temperature, flow regime, and formulation of the product. Such deposits cause significant environmental costs (water, energy and detergent) and may pose microbiological risk. This project aims to address the challenges of hybrid protein systems fouling when subjected to thermal treatments.

During this internship, the student will contribute to the study of the thermal denaturation, aggregation, and fouling mechanisms of pea and whey protein mixtures during heat treatment in order to better understand its behavior during processing and formulation operations in the agri-food industry.

In this internship, the M2 student main tasks will include: 

• Study of the thermal denaturation kinetics of pea and whey protein
• Investigation of the effect of formulation parameters, including protein concentration, pea to whey protein ratios, and calcium concentration on fouling formation in a pilot scale-plat heat exchanger
• Characterization of fouling deposit properties and protein solutions

Training and skills

 Recommended background: Master’s 2 student in Agri-Food Process Engineering or Food Science, Chemical Engineering.

Desired knowledge: Theoretical and practical knowledge in analysis techniques and food processing.

Appreciated experience: Experience with proteins, particularly their structure and characterization, would be an advantage.

Skills: Ability to work independently a laboratory, good communication and writing skills in English (French is an advantage).

INRAE's life quality

By joining INRAE, you can benefit from, depending on the type and duration of your contract:

- up to 30 days of annual leave + up to 15 additional days off (for full-time employees);
- access to the French public healthcare system;
- 50% of the cost of your supplementary health insurance covered by INRAE;
- childcare and parenting support;
- training and career guidance;
- social assistance and financial support;
- holiday vouchers and accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- subsidised staff restaurants.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter