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Milcobel Chair on Dairy Research

The largest Belgian dairy company is joining forces with researchers from the Bio-Engineering faculty, who several decades ago already launched early initiatives in high quality dairy research, and who are still active in dairy research until the present day.

Objectives

The aim of the chair is to reinforce dairy research. This will be achieved by:

  • Conducting basic research in the field of dairy (through doctoral research and initiation of new research projects), led by a steering committee that will be assembled by Prof. Paul Van der Meeren, Prof. Koen Dewettinck, and a representative from Milcobel. Integral use of the resources of the chair to reinforce the basis of Dairy Research, with the aim of obtaining new scientific insights into the role and functionality of milk proteins, as well as the interaction of these proteins with other milk components, in dairy products, and in applications in food.
  • Establishing a leading, multidisciplinary centre for dairy research (communication)
  • Promoting the discipline of dairy research amongst the future generations of researchers (for theses by Master’s students).

“It is very much in our interest to build up a very strong centre of knowledge in Flanders. It is important to give a new impetus to fundamental research into dairy. The basic scientific concepts and insights that are developed within this chair can, in the long term, lead to more applied research within Milcobel, and result in research transfer for our business, our clients, and our partners.” - Dirk Van Gaver, R&D-manager at Milcobel

Donor

Period

2019-2023

Supervisor

Prof. Paul Van der Meeren is senior full professor within the Department of Green Chemistry and Technology (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University). He is also chair of this department and Director of the Ghent University Doctoral School of (Bioscience) Engineering. Around 25 years ago, he set up the Particle and Interfacial Technology research group (www.ugent.be/bw/gct/en/research/paint). This research group focuses on the preparation, characterisation, stabilisation and applicability of colloidal dispersions, such as (double) emulsions, (nano-)suspensions and liposomal dispersions. In this context, dairy systems are an important object of research. For example, there has already been research for many years into (improvement of) the heat stability of recombined evaporated milk, while in recent years there has been intensive research into the connection between the structure and functionality of mozzarella.

Co-supervisor

Prof. Koen Dewettinck

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