Project description
Smarter, greener food packaging
Plastic food packaging contributes to environmental pollution and food waste. While the biodegradable polymer PHBV shows promise as a sustainable alternative, its mechanical properties still limit broader use in the food industry. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the STUMAT project is tackling this challenge with bio-based additives derived from ferulic acid to strengthen PHBV without compromising biodegradability. Researchers are exploring how to turn PHBV into a smart material by embedding pH-sensitive Spirulina extracts using droplet millifluidics, an advanced technique that ensures stability. By combining green chemistry, materials science, and food tech, STUMAT paves the way for next-generation bio-based smart packaging in line with Europe’s farm-to-fork strategy.
Objective
"The substantial global food waste linked to plastic-based packaging highlights the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is a promising eco-friendly option, but its use in the food industry is limited due to inadequate mechanical properties. Attempts to improve PHBV materials with existing additives have encountered issues like biodegradation challenges, poor dispersion, and undesired crystallization. However, novel bio-based ferulic acid derivatives are predicted to solve this problem by tuning PHBV’s properties through enhancing free volume between polymer chains while maintaining physical interactions. Additionally, transforming PHBV into smart materials for food contact applications remains unexplored. Encapsulation of Spirulina platensis extract (C-PS) could be a way forward due to its advantageous natural chemical composition (known for pH-responsive color-changing properties). However, conventional encapsulation methods often result in unstable microbeads. To overcome this, droplet millifluidics can be employed to achieve stable encapsulation of C-PS in alginate microbeads, enabling PHBV to become smart for the first time. The current project aims to create new additives to improve the mechanical properties of PHBV through green chemistry and modeling approaches, to encapsulate C-PS in alginate microbeads using droplet millifluidics during a secondment to produce smart materials through green manufacturing and test them for spoilage detection. Aligned with the EU’s ""farm to fork"" priority, STUMAT will allow me to combine interdisciplinary skills gained from both the host and secondment on the additive synthesis and microencapsulation respectively to integrate a new generation of bio-based additives and microencapsulated C-PS into PHBV to unlock its full potential which will act as a blueprint for future smart material development, positioning me as an independent researcher to establish my research group."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
91120 PALAISEAU
France
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