Unravel the interfacial structures of plant-based proteins at the air-water interface

The transition towards sustainable, plant-based protein sources for food systems requires knowledge on how plant-based proteins interact with food-relevant microstructures. In particular, in the formulation of aerated food systems (e.g. foams), the mechanism by which plant-based proteins stabilise the interfaces is considerably different than that of traditional animal-based protein. This proposal aims to investigate the in situ structures and formation dynamics of plant-based proteins at the air-water interface, using grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The structural information provided by GISAXS forms the missing link between (in house) state of the art interfacial rheology and high resolution but ex situ and static atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experiment will provide a major step forward towards a general understanding of the interfacial stabilisation mechanisms of plant-based proteins.