Fast chemical profiling for detecting fraud in foods and nutraceuticals (KEMSLEYEK_U25SCICAMS)
Key Details
- Application deadline
- 30 June 2025 (midnight UK time)
- Location
- UEA
- Funding type
- Directly funded project (Home students only)
- Start date
- 1 October 2025
- Mode of study
- Full-time
- Programme type
- PhD
Project description
Primary supervisor - Prof Kate Kemsley
Join us to research and develop advanced analytical methods for tackling food fraud head-on!
Economically motivated adulteration of foods is a significant problem that affects consumer trust, regulatory compliance, and public health. Often targeting high-value commodities, advanced analytical methods are needed to monitor the integrity of the supply chain and deter fraud.
This project aims to integrate compact but powerful analytical platforms including ‘benchtop’ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) to create a robust framework for authenticity screening. Fast and cost-effective, these technologies generate detailed chemical fingerprints that can characterise the composition of foods and stymie the fraudsters.
Key project aims:
- Develop end-to-end protocols for screening selected foods and nutraceuticals.
- Create advanced strategies for data integration using tailored algorithms and machine learning approaches.
- Demonstrate the integrated framework for high-risk commodities like edible oils, spices, and herbal supplements.
The project is jointly funded by UEA and CAMS-UK (Community for Analytical Measurement Science). It will also benefit from a co-supervisor based at the nearby John Innes Centre, a world-renowned centre for plant science, where you will spend time in the Biomolecular Analysis Facility. You will also have the opportunity to interact with partners from the UK's Food Authenticity Network and to join a wider network of collaborators working to ensure the authenticity of natural products. During your PhD, you will present your work in academic meetings and to a variety of industrial stakeholders.
This project offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of technology and food integrity, and to make a direct impact on consumer trust and public health. If you are a graduate with a strong numerate background and skills in analytical chemistry, then this is the project for you!
Informal enquiries concerning the project are welcomed by the primary supervisor (k.kemsley@uea.ac.uk).
Entry requirements
The standard minimum entry requirement is 2:1 (Hons) in Chemistry, Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Material Sciences, Biochemistry.
Must have analytical chemistry skills and good numeracy; experience of mathematical coding would be desirable.
Funding
This is a fully funded studentship for three years. Funding includes tuition fees at Home-fee rate and an annual stipend for maintenance.
References
i) Authentication of saffron using 60 MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134649
ii) Quantitative NMR Estimation of Primary Metabolites in Turmeric Spice https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/98968/1/ENC_Poster_Turmeric_KK2_final_1.pdf
iii) CAMS-UK https://cams-uk.co.uk/
iv) Food Authenticity Network https://www.foodauthenticity.global/