PhD thesis supervisor: dr. Arūnas Stirkė (apply for recommendation)
Pulsed electric field‑assisted valorization of food byproducts
The agricultural and food industries generate large quantities of organic waste each year, offering significant potential as raw materials for extracting chemically valuable compounds. These matrices are rich in polyphenols, polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, and other bioactive components that can be converted into biopolymers, nutraceuticals, antimicrobial agents, or adsorbents. Targeted extraction and chemical conversion of these compounds to enhance their value is an important strategy supporting the transition towards a circular bioeconomy, where biological resources are used efficiently and sustainably.
Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology has emerged as an advanced non-thermal method enabling the selective extraction of valuable compounds from agri-food waste. PEF-induced irreversible electroporation increases cell membrane permeability, accelerates mass transfer, and facilitates the release of intracellular molecules such as phenolics, proteins, and peptides. In addition, PEF can induce structural modifications in proteins, affecting their solubility, emulsifying capacity, and other functional properties.
Compared with conventional extraction methods, PEF reduces energy consumption, limits the use of organic solvents, and improves the quality of the extracted compounds. This study will investigate the application of PEF for the chemical valorization and functional enhancement of agri‑food waste and byproducts, such as fruit pomace, defatted nut and seed flours, and protein fractions.