Foods for Space and Remote Off-Sites on Earth: Late Stage Customisation of Food Materials in Extreme Environments

Researchers: George Warne, Nam Nghiep Tran, Volker Hessel, Ian Fisk

Providing an exciting and nutritious diet to people working in inhospitable environments such as extended space travel, deep mining and deep sea submarines is incredibly challenging. Achieving this goal requires an interdisciplinary approach. This includes the development of new ways of thinking that are better able to tackle the biosciences, engineering and physical science challenges we face on Earth and in space.

Within this PhD you will develop new ways of processing foods, this will give an unrivalled level of variation for people on restricted diets as well as develop new food processing technologies for commercial food production such as juice processing.

Specifically you will evaluate a novel low temperature processing tools e.g. cold plasma. Cold plasma will be used as a late stage customisation technology for designing bespoke aromas and tastes in challenging situations and inhospitable environments. The research will include an outline for a reactor/process design under those extreme positions (coldness, compactness, vacuum, scarcity of fuels and resources available, and zero gravity) and evaluation of the technology for commercial applications (e.g. biopolymer modification, flavour generation, flavour modification, nutrient modification, removal of taints). A holistic view will be taken to ensure that the right windows of opportunity are taken with a reasonable chance of economic viability and technical competitiveness.

Benefits to Life on Earth

New medicinal formulations of improved stability. Efficient extraction and purification of critical minerals.