PhD Position: Effects of Gastric pH on In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of Foods using MRI

This PhD position, hosted by INRAE in Rennes, focuses on understanding the mechanisms limiting the degradation of solid food particles during digestion. The research will utilize innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to monitor in vitro digestion kinetics under varying gastric pH conditions. The successful candidate will work across two research units, OPAALE and STLO, to analyze how physiological pH variations affect the breakdown of bread, cheese, and tomato. This project is part of the ANR-funded Gastric-pH initiative and involves collaboration with multiple project partners.

• Conduct semi-dynamic in vitro digestion experiments on food particles using MRI.
• Monitor digestion kinetics of bread, cheese, and tomato at molecular, millimeter, and centimeter scales.
• Analyze MRI data to characterize food composition and structural changes during digestion.
• Investigate the influence of gastric pH variability on nutrient release and particle erosion.
• Participate in regular meetings and reporting for the ANR-funded Gastric-pH project.
• Collaborate with researchers across the OPAALE and STLO units.