Projects / Programmes
Development of advanced models of mass and heat transfer in electroporated plant tissues of importance to food processing industry
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.06.07 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Systems and cybernetics |
Biomedical technics |
| 4.03.07 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Technology of vegetal origin food |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T430 |
Technological sciences |
Food and drink technology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.06 |
Engineering and Technology |
Medical engineering
|
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
electroporation; food processing; mathematical modelling; mass transport; heat transfer; interdisciplinary approach.
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
34298 |
PhD Samo Mahnič-Kalamiza |
Systems and cybernetics |
Head |
2019 - 2021 |
78 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
An electric field of a sufficient strength causes an increase in electrical conductivity and permeability of the cell membrane – also for molecules for which normally the membrane has low permeability. This phenomenon, known as electroporation, electropermeabilization, or pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, has been attributed to the creation of aqueous pores in the lipid bilayer.
Since improving mass transport is the goal in many electroporation applications, understanding phenomena related to electroporation in tissues is of paramount importance. We may aim at enhancing the selective recovery/extraction of compounds or juices from plant cells, improving the rate of dehydration (i.e. drying), improving the delivery of solutes (salts, sugars, etc.) into target tissues, etc. Applications are numerous and their list ever expanding. The potential socio-economic benefits of integrating electroporation into processes in food industry and environmental engineering are vast and carry an enormous potential for developing cost- and energy-efficient methods of waste/by-product valorization, biofuel production, food safety assurance, and fit perfectly within the modern paradigm of green circular economy. Thus, this interdisciplinary project fits perfectly within the framework of the societal objective “FACCE Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change”.
Comprehensive and detailed mathematical models are important theoretical frameworks that enable us to both verify or check our knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon, and design optimized treatment processes based on the phenomenon under study, leading to an effective and efficient use of resources. Recently, the project Proposer published a number of articles introducing a “dual-porosity” approach to modelling mass transport in electroporated tissues. This is the first time the dual-porosity theory has been developed for the case of electroporated (plant) tissue, both for mass transport and heat transfer. The dual-porosity model enables coupling the effects of electroporation on the membrane of individual cells in tissue to the resulting transmembrane mass transport and mass transport in the extracellular matrix, which is a novel approach.
The proposed post-doctoral research project has been conceived with the purpose of taking the dual-porosity model to the next developmental stage, and to apply it in practice to the problem of treating food materials by electroporation. The ultimate objective is to arrive at a comprehensive model of plant tissue electroporation that will represent a new level in scientific understanding of the effects of electroporation to mass transport and heat transfer in electroporated tissues, which will be achieved through realization of work as outlined by the four Work Packages of the project. These are: WP I: Validation and verification of the mass/heat transfer models; WP II: Evaluation of the importance of electrokinetic mechanisms to mass transport; WP III: Evaluation of the importance of turgor pressure; and WP IV: Coupling the mass transport /heat transfer models with models of electric field and conductivity distribution in tissue.
Each of the proposed extensions and elaborations of the modelling paradigm resulting from the implementation of Work Packages I – IV of the proposed project is in itself capable of opening up numerous new research directions, since the phenomena under consideration have yet to be approached from the perspective of mechanistic modelling. Moreover, the proposed research has the potential to reach outside the boundaries of the food processing domain, resulting in transfer of knowledge to other domains of electroporation, such as back into biomedicine. New insights brought about by the proposed project could thus be of broader interest and have greater-than-foreseen implications for the fields of electroporation research and food processing in general.
Significance for science
When considering our understanding of mass and heat transfer in electroporated tissues, there is a general lack of comprehensive mechanistic models to describe the processes and evaluate/determine treatment parameters with respect to their effects.
Much work has been done on the microscopic scale with molecular dynamics, using model membranes (lipid bilayers and giant unilamellar vesicles – GUVs), and in in vitro experiments with cell suspensions. On the other end of the spectrum in terms of scale, tissues were approached predominantly by empirical methods for the purposes of optimizing processes in the food industry.
The proposed project is expected to close the gap between mechanistic modelling on the micro scale and our understanding of electroporation of tissues on the macro scale. Transfer of knowledge between the two scales is presently sorely missed, and any such theoretical work is an original approach to the problem.
Further elucidating phenomena related to electroporation of plant tissues is highly relevant for the related industrial applications of PEF treatment. There is a growing interest in electroporation in the food processing industry and food engineering worldwide and specifically in Slovenia, and new applications are being developed on a regular basis. The scientific understanding of processes is unable to keep up with the industrial initiative, a problem which results in a rather slow and proprietary implementation of the technology and methods in existing food processing chains. The advancement in understanding resulting from the proposed project will improve the availability of the technology and facilitate its adoption in the industry on a broader scale. This would be achieved by disseminating the newly acquired knowledge into the public domain by means of scientific publications, popular science articles (e.g. in the “ŽIT – Življenje in Tehnika”, a popular science magazine), international school activities, and the proposed potential users meeting. The educational aspect of disseminating project results will also improve the rate of acceptance of such novel technology by helping demystify its principles and mechanisms of action.
A working model of processes in tissue is also necessary for enabling smart optimization of treatment protocols, something that is presently carried out following a rather “blind” trial-and-error methodology, whereby optimal treatment protocols for particular food products need to be found empirically and without a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.
The theoretical nature of the proposed project also means that the project has the potential of opening new research directions and enriching existing ones, since its results should also be transferable, at least in part, to other areas of electroporation applications, such as biomedicine. New insights brought about by the proposed project could thus be of broader interest and have greater-than-foreseen implications for electroporation research in general.
Significance for the country
When considering our understanding of mass and heat transfer in electroporated tissues, there is a general lack of comprehensive mechanistic models to describe the processes and evaluate/determine treatment parameters with respect to their effects.
Much work has been done on the microscopic scale with molecular dynamics, using model membranes (lipid bilayers and giant unilamellar vesicles – GUVs), and in in vitro experiments with cell suspensions. On the other end of the spectrum in terms of scale, tissues were approached predominantly by empirical methods for the purposes of optimizing processes in the food industry.
The proposed project is expected to close the gap between mechanistic modelling on the micro scale and our understanding of electroporation of tissues on the macro scale. Transfer of knowledge between the two scales is presently sorely missed, and any such theoretical work is an original approach to the problem.
Further elucidating phenomena related to electroporation of plant tissues is highly relevant for the related industrial applications of PEF treatment. There is a growing interest in electroporation in the food processing industry and food engineering worldwide and specifically in Slovenia, and new applications are being developed on a regular basis. The scientific understanding of processes is unable to keep up with the industrial initiative, a problem which results in a rather slow and proprietary implementation of the technology and methods in existing food processing chains. The advancement in understanding resulting from the proposed project will improve the availability of the technology and facilitate its adoption in the industry on a broader scale. This would be achieved by disseminating the newly acquired knowledge into the public domain by means of scientific publications, popular science articles (e.g. in the “ŽIT – Življenje in Tehnika”, a popular science magazine), international school activities, and the proposed potential users meeting. The educational aspect of disseminating project results will also improve the rate of acceptance of such novel technology by helping demystify its principles and mechanisms of action.
A working model of processes in tissue is also necessary for enabling smart optimization of treatment protocols, something that is presently carried out following a rather “blind” trial-and-error methodology, whereby optimal treatment protocols for particular food products need to be found empirically and without a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.
The theoretical nature of the proposed project also means that the project has the potential of opening new research directions and enriching existing ones, since its results should also be transferable, at least in part, to other areas of electroporation applications, such as biomedicine. New insights brought about by the proposed project could thus be of broader interest and have greater-than-foreseen implications for electroporation research in general.
Most important scientific results
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
