Structural Food Physics and Soft Matter Self-Assembly

The group is newly established at the Department of Food Science having migrated from the X-ray and Neutron Science section at the Niels Bohr Institute. In general the research of the group is centered around mesoscale self-assembly and particularly the formation of geometrically and topologically complex structures in soft matter systems, both synthetic systems like block copolymers and amphiphilic molecules and from various food- and biological systems, for example photosynthetic membranes, milk/fat-based systems, oleogels and biomacromolecules like starch. A particular area of interest after the move to FOOD is the study of nanostructural transitions during digestion and how this influences bio-uptake of nutra- and pharmaceuticals. 

In terms of methodology, our work has two main facets:

(1) structural investigations using small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering techniques and advanced data analysis and modeling related to this.

(2) coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of soft matter self-assembly.

A state-of-the-art new x-ray instrument is being installed in 2020 at FOOD and will allow a range of experiments to be conducted in-house. We also routinely go to international large scale facilities to do neutron scattering or synchrotron x-ray scattering if needed.

For more information and student project proposals explore the website.