Leon Harnisch

Protein-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions are widely used in various sectors of the food industry, including milk, cream, ice cream, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and a range of sauces. Owing to their amphiphilic properties, proteins can act as effective emulsifiers by reducing the interfacial tension between the oil and water phases and contributing to the stabilization of the oil–water interface.

The emulsion-stabilizing properties of proteins strongly depend on physicochemical conditions. Key influencing factors include, among others, the oil volume fraction and the protein concentration. In addition, process-related parameters, such as homogenization pressure, significantly affect the resulting physicochemical properties of protein-stabilized emulsions. These properties include droplet size distribution, aggregation tendency, coalescence behavior, and creaming stability.

While the emulsion-stabilizing properties of low-molecular-weight surfactants and animal proteins have already been extensively described in many respects, there remains a substantial need for further research in the field of plant proteins due to their high structural and chemical diversity.

If you are interested in conducting your thesis within the research field of plant protein–stabilized emulsions and their application in food systems, please feel free to contact me. A specific research topic will then be jointly developed based on current research questions and your individual interests.