International UPWr Doctoral School: food and nutrition technology

Topics of doctoral theses carried out by doctoral students of the UPWr Doctoral School fit in with the latest trends in the discipline of food and nutrition technology. They respond to the current market demand and focus on various problems related to the production and properties of food. Among other, they cover innovative solutions for the management of food industry by-products and waste in the form of functional food additives.

– Our doctoral students are involved in research work on the development of new methods of extracting phytochemicals from alternative sources, and also analyse the impact of selected thermal treatment methods on the stability of bioactive compounds in products – says Dr. Anna Michalska-Ciechanowska, who conducts research aimed at obtaining the highest quality fruit powders, as well as learning about the mechanisms of formation in the process of drying the fruit of harmful substances, together with the Swiss National Science Foundation and Prof. Wilfried Andlauer from the HES-SO Valais-Wallis University of Applied Sciences in Sion.

– The International Doctoral School of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences  takes several things into account. It is primarily scientific work, as well as research and development conducted by our scientists, but also the needs of consumers, and therefore the market. And that is why we are looking for candidates for our doctoral studies, whose interests will be, among others, related to the development of the composition of new snack products with desired functional properties or the design of functional fermented beverages dedicated to specific groups of consumers – explains Dr. Anna Michalska-Ciechanowska.

At the UPWr Doctoral School, those who are interested in the impact of processing on the quality of food products in a new and attractive form can carry out research related to fruit powders with designed biological properties, as well as the development of new dietary supplements for athletes based on plant raw materials. The PhD students can also focus on biologically active derivatives of phenylpropenoic acids and their phospholipid nanoforms, or conduct research related to recognition of the mechanisms of action of selected herbal ingredients with myofibrillar proteins of meat. In their work, they can also cover topics related to the integration of diet, nutritional education, dietary supplementation and HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) on the nutritional status of patients, including those with HIV / AIDS.

Chairwoman of the Discipline Council for Food and Nutrition Technology, Prof. Agnieszka Kita adds: – What distinguishes doctoral dissertations carried out at the UPWr is the fact that they are conducted in interdisciplinary teams, often with supervisors from various disciplines, including from abroad. PhD students also take an active part in raising funds for their own research projects.

As emphasised by scientists from Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, the International UPWr Doctoral School creates new opportunities for education and improving the competences of people interested in food science. Thanks to the new set-up and internationalisation, candidates for the doctoral degree in agricultural sciences in the discipline of food and nutrition technology have the opportunity to implement research in the leading areas of development of food sciences, including those developed at the Wrocław site concerning bioactive compounds from raw materials of plant and animal origin, as well as from by-products or waste products, development of new methods for their extraction, preservation and their use in newly developed food.

– Some of the topics are carried out in close cooperation with partners from industry, especially as part of the "Implementation PhD" programme, which in the future will facilitate the application of solutions developed as part of the doctoral dissertation in practice – emphasises Prof. Agnieszka Kita, adding that currently most of the topics carried out at the UPWr Doctoral School go beyond the strict scope of food sciences, and are carried out in cooperation with scientists from Poland and abroad, who represent other disciplines, and therefore act as a second supervisor.

The programme of studies and the individual research plan carried out by students of the International Doctoral School usually include at least a few months' stay in another centre, including abroad, which enables not only carrying out some of the planned research, but also gaining the necessary knowledge and contacts that may in the future result in further cooperation developed by the doctoral student. Students of the UPWr Doctoral School are also doctoral students from abroad, which creates a new opportunity for education and exchange of experience during classes that are conducted not only in Polish, but also in English.

 kbk