Capabilities

EQUIPMENT & CAPABILITIES

Food Grade Processing Facility (Lab- to Pilot-scale):

  • Process 11 food extruder for high and low moisture extrusion trials (Thermo Fisher, see below)
  • Spray dryer (Buchi B-290)
  • Freeze dryer (Martin Christ, see below)
  • Climate chamber & ovens (Memmert)
  • Distillation & Brewing equipment
  • Homogeniser (GEA)
  • Protein extraction
  • Food waste upcycling and pre-treatments incl. hydrolysis
  • Packaging: compostable polymer & paper-based solutions, incl. water and oxygen permeability studies

    DryingExt

Analysis of Biopolymers, Food Structure and Protein-Lipid Interactions:

  • Texture analyser
  • Particle size analysis (incl. DLS & Zetasizer)
  • Viscosity: Rapid Visco Analyzer
  • Viscosity and flow behaviour: Rheology (TA instruments Ares G2, see below)
  • Micro- and nanostructure using microscopy (including electron and confocal microscopy, AFM-IR)
    • Extensive Experience with Reflectometry and Small-Angle X-ray and Neutron Scattering for structural analysis of hybrid materials, through the use of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation facilities (ANSTO) and the Monash X-ray Platform
  • Foaming, emulsification, water and oil absorption analysis
  • Thermal stability (including TGA, NanoDSC and DSC from TA Instruments, see below)
  • Drying & rehydration kinetics analysis
  • Protein structural analysis (including Bioinformatics Analysis, Jasco CD and FTIR)
  • Molecular weight & monomer analysis (SEC, GC-MS, (ATR)-FTIR)
  • Nutritional content (HPLC and LC-MS)
  • Enrichment air-water and solid-water interfaces: Langmuir Blodgett-Trough with BAM (KSV Nima), QCM, Reflectometry

Sustainable (Bio)Process Engineering:

  • (Bio)polymer processing: Extrusion & Compounding including Cast-Film Line, see materials produced @Monash New Horizons LabTech Yellow line below
  • Bacterial fermentation & extraction methods, 15 mL (Ambr15) to 10L scale with gas analysis
  • With Monash Food Innovation: Packaging Design, Consumer Studies, Market Analysis

    • Pol1 Polymers2