| Topic title |
Possible scientific supervisors |
Source of funding |
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Study of phase transitions during the synthesis and hydration of belite and belite-sulphoaluminate cements
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prof. dr. Raimundas ŠIAUČIŪNAS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most popular binder used in concrete for construction because of its durability, universality and relatively low cost. The annual worldwide production of OPC exceeds 4 billion tones. However, such vast volumes of production are responsible for approximately 12–15 % of global industrial energy use. Most of the energy is used for the production of OPC precursor – clinker. It is mainly related to the high temperature of its thermal treatment (around 1450 ºC). Therefore, in order to mitigate both CO2 release and energy consumption more vividly, a considerable effort is being applied in order to obtain alternative cement products. Even though some of the alternative binder materials have been known for decades, their use is limited, due to undefined hydration mechanisms or the mineral composition of the forming products and the undetermined longevity of their products usage. One of the alternative binders produced on an industrial scale is belite cement. ... For further details please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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| Valorisation of agrofood processing by-products and waste using biorefinery concept |
prof. dr. Petras Rimantas VENSKUTONIS |
state-funded |
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Modeling of biological value, functional technological and safety properties of rest raw materials for meat analogue prototipes
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m.d. dr. Alvija ŠALAŠEVIČIENĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
The breakthrough in meat substitutes and meat analogues in the world and in the EC market is observed, and the developed products are considered as the main product group of personalized nutrition because they are based on raw materials of plant origin. There are no meat analogues research established that involve usage of secondary rest raw materials (oil, beverage industry press cakes). Balancing the nutritional value, biological value, functional technological, sensory and safety properties of such matrices of plant-based meat analogues is a challenge that could be addressed by innovative biological (solid phase fermentation) and technological (wet extrusion) measures. The aim of the research is to investigate the nutritional and biological value, functional technological properties of fermented and extruded secondary plant rest raw materials to develop hydrocolloidal macroscopic emulsion models and select technological tools for modelling safe meat analogues that resembles to meat properties. Tasks: 1.Assess the physico-chemical properties of potential secondary rest raw materials of plant origin in order to select the most closely related to the composition and structure of the meat in terms of nutrition and biological value. 2.Determine the effect of different modes of solid phase fermentation and wet extrusion on the dynamics of biological value, physico-mechanical structure properties of secondary rest raw materials of plant origin, comparing them with changes of meat raw material properties. 3.Model biologically valuable hydrocolloidal macro-emulsions of the plant rest raw materials with physico-mechanical characteristics close to those of meat emulsion. 4.Verify the stability, biological value, nutritional value, sensory acceptability and safety of hydrocolloidal emulsions by selecting technological treatment regimes for meat analogues prototypes by comparing them with meat product equivalents.
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Characteristics of phytopathogenic Xanthomonas spp. bacteria and the effect of variuos factors on their viability
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v.m.d. dr. Irena MAČIONIENĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Scientific knowledge of the spread of phytopathogenic bacteria in various regions of Europe and the development of new preventive biological measures are essential for the safe and sustainable consumption of plant-based food raw materials. Preparation of plant-based raw materials is often associated with economic problems. One of these problems is the plant phytopathogenic Xanthomonas spp. bacteria that devastate plants and plant-based raw materials. Therefore is necessary to evaluate the prevalence of Xanthomonas spp. bacteria, to determine their characteristics, to search for natural biological preventive measures for protection vegetable raw materials and foods.
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| Solvent separation of multilayer composite waste with recovering and processing of valuable materials: process theory and technology |
prof. dr. Gintaras DENAFAS |
state-funded |
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Relating physical properties of composite foods prepared as meat analogues with their dynamic sensory perception
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vyr.m.d. dr. Gitana ALENČIKIENĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
The market for meat analogues is growing rapidly and various technological measures , such as extrusion, chemical denaturation of proteins, treatment by shear force and etc, are applied in this field. Most of developed meat analogues have main disadvantage as mouthfeeling perceived during consumption of these products are not similar to that of eat products. However, meat analogues are rarely used alone, often they are consumed with sauces which have absolutely diferent macrostructure. The structure of such a composite product undergoes significant changes during chewing until it becomes suitable for swallowing. During the food bolus chewing process it undergo significant changes and sensory perseption dynamic varies from structure of food. The aim is to investigate the behavioral pattern of different macroscopic structures (meat analogue and sauce) in the mouth and to select technological tools for modeling the dynamic sensory perception of mouthfeeling and overall sensory quality. Tasks: - To determine peculiarities of food bolus formation depending on the macroscopic structure of the product; - To determine the dynamics of the perception of sensory properties and especially mouthfeeling by using composite products made of products with different textures; - To evaluate the effect of structure of meat analogues produced by different methods on the perceived dynamic sensory quality of products - To test the accuracy of the established behavioral model of composite products in the mouth by application dynamic sensory analysis and consumer tests.
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| Bioplastic and biocomposites from agricultural materials |
dr. Paulius Pavelas DANILOVAS |
state-funded |
| Hydrophobic cellulose biocomposites and their application in food packing |
doc. dr. Jonas DAMAŠIUS |
state-funded |
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Synthesis, properties and application of organic semiconductors for (opto)electronic devices
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v.m.d. dr. Dalius GUDEIKA |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Organic amorphous materials are widely investigated as components of various optoelectronic devices such as organic light emitting diodes, solar cells, field effect transistors. Organic electronics is attractive due to the potentially of cheap production, environmental friendliness and material flexibility. The inorganic materials used in these devices are being replaced by organic ones, because their synthesis is cheaper and simpler, they have a wider spectrum of properties, and simpler technologies are needed to form amorphous layers. Organic layers can be formed by cheap printing technology. Organic synthesis methods allow changing of chemical and physical properties of substances in wide ranges. For the above reasons synthesis of new materials and their introduction into organic electronic devices is a relevant and perspective subject of scientific work. Currently, synthesis and investigations of organic semiconductors is intensively developing field of chemical engineering. A particular attention is paid to the synthesis and studies of electron-transporting and bipolar materials (transporting holes and electrons). The emergence of efficient bipolar organic semiconductors in the market would allow to improve performance of some organic electronic devices. The synthesized new compounds will be characterized by modern methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry methods. .... For detailed information please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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| Modification of carbon fibre electrodes and their application in electrochemical devices |
doc. dr. Egidijus GRIŠKONIS |
state-funded |
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Multistep biorefining of microalagae into high-added value products: process optimization and product characterization
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doc. dr. Michail Syrpas |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Natural products, isolated from algal biomass, are of high interest as they could have financial significance and serve as important lead compounds for developing new bioactive compounds for specific applications. Due to their production of structurally diverse compounds, microalgae are widely accepted as one of the most promising and rather underexplored sources of novel bioactive ingredients. Mathematical models are expected to play an essential part for driving microalgal production towards more profitable and sustainable processes. Several parameters need to be evaluated in order to develop optimized models that could be used as tools for prediction and process optimization. Productivity of high-added value compounds (i.e polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc) relies in several variables (i.e temperature, light intensity, CO2 etc). Design of experiments will be utilized to optimize selected growing conditions in terms of target compound(s) content. Statistical analysis demonstrating the influence of each variable and their interactions thereof will be conducted. Isolation of targeted fractions for functional food and/or biotechnological/ cosmetic applications will be performed. Moreover, novel and high-pressure techniques such as supercritical fluid, pressurized liquid, ultrasound-assisted extraction protocols will be optimized and compared with conventional methods. Obtained fractions will be screened via chromatographic techniques, bioassay-guided fractionation and/or genetically encoded biosensors for the identification of target compounds with bioactivity or financial potential. ... For detailed information please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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Peculiarities of the resistance of food systems microorganisms to physicochemical factors
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doc. dr. Antanas ŠARKINAS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
In the effect of genetic recombinations, the properties of microorganisms are constantly changing. Using new food processing methods can not prevent residual microbial contamination. The detected microorganisms exhibit a change in the resistance to physical chemical agents compared to the collectible characteristics of the cultures of the respective species. Food systems survive microorganisms isolated, species dependence is determined by genetic methods, resistance parameters are analyzed. These changes in the properties of micro-organisms can be used to model new food safety measures.
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Synthesis and applications of amphiphilic polysaccharides
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doc. dr. Ramunė RUTKAITĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Numerous approaches have been developed for the self-assembly of natural or synthetic amphiphiles into soft core-shell nano- or microobjects which are of great interest in various fields. Among these amphiphilic molecules, amphiphiles containing natural blocks, such as polysaccharides, have attracted the most attention because they are non-toxic, non-immunogenic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and renewable. Polysaccharide based amphiphilic copolymers might represent a new class of biopolymeric materials with potential applications in different fields such as plastic industry, detergency, and also as the pharmaceutics where the design of nano or microdevices carrying a polysaccharide chains can be also of interest for therapy, vaccination and diagnostic purposes. The aim of this research work – to obtain various modified polysaccharide structures having both hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and to explore their properties in the light of different potential applications. During the course of the project chemical and physical modification of natural polysaccharides will be performed to obtain the derivatives of different structure, amphiphilicity, charge density (either neutral or charged), molecular weight etc. The self-aggregation behavior of obtained amphiphilic polysaccharides in water via formation of various structures e.g. hydrogel nanoparticles, micelles, polymersomes, oil in water emulsions etc. as well as their properties will be also assessed. The developed materials will be also tested in some applications such as controlled delivery of target compounds via stimuli responses e.g. pH, temperature, enzyme-degradation etc.
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| Utilization of biomass waste for the production of compound special fertilizers |
doc. dr. Rasa ŠLINKŠIENĖ |
state-funded |
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Hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulfides and investigation of products properties
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prof. dr. Kęstutis BALTAKYS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
In production of sulfuric acid from elemental sulfur by double contact method, one of the main equipment is sulfur smelter. Since the raw material is used no less than 99.5 % grade, the impurities, consisted of calcium, quartz, iron, are accumulated in the filters of smelter. Approx. 550 tons of this residue could be formed a year in big capacity plants. This waste is collected in landfills, hence it could cause environmental problems such as acid rains, pH change in soils and etc. It is expected to use this waste as raw material in hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulfides. Copper, zinc and lead sulfides are characterized in decent metallic, electric and magnetic properties, therefore they are applied in advanced technology. Due to non-linear optical properties and increased conductivity at high temperatures, copper sulfide is used as conductor in photocatalysis, in production of optical electronics, solar panels, biosensors, conductive polymers, could be used as cathode in lithium ion batteries (U. Shamraiz, R. Hussain, Azadar, A. Badshah, 2016). Zinc sulfide has characteristics specific for semiconductors, thus could be used in photocatalysis or laser industry (C. Lai, M. Lu, L.Chen, 2012). Lead sulfide is also applied in production of gas detectors, solar panels (H.B Patil, 2016). By using sulfur waste in synthesizing these high value material, the prime cost will be reduced, the materials of advanced technology will be synthesized in environmental friendly conditions. ... For further information please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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Formulation of food-grade aerogels for the controlled release of bioactive compounds during digestion
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prof. dr. Daiva LESKAUSKAITĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
The use of organic aerogels as an encapsulation material in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food applications has been demonstrated in several studies. The main focus was on aerogels made of silica and polysaccharides. Desirable properties of aerogels as a carrier system are biocompatibility, biodegradability and very large specific surface area, which is supposed to be loaded with bioactive component. The carrier system is supposed to deliver the uploaded bioactive at that site in the body where its physiological functionality is needed. The release should happen at a specific rate or should be induced by a certain trigger event like a specific pH, temperature, or enzymatic degradation. The different structures of aerogels are expected to differ in digestive processes. The aim of this investigation is to develop protein aerogels as food grade carrier material for bioactive compounds. The main requirements for such a carrier material consist of high specific surface area coupled with controlled release of loaded bioactives during digestion. The main objectives: 1) to investigate the applicability of different protein gels for the generation of highly porous water-insoluble aerogels as bioactive carriers; 2) to investigate the applicability of different techniques for the production of aerogels by the use of a supercritical drying, freeze drying, etc.; 3) to determine the uploading capacity of different aerogels regarding different vitamins (D3, B12 C), phenolic compounds, etc; 4) to prove the suitability of aerogels as encapsulation matrixes for the controlled release of bioactives during digestion by using dynamic in vitro digestion system. Expected results: the development of food-grade aerogels as suitable matrices for the protection and transportation of sensitive bioactives and controlled release in the gastrointestinal tract.
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Synthesis and studies of organic emitters exhibiting high luminescence quantum yields
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prof. habil. dr. Juozas Vidas GRAŽULEVIČIUS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Most of the organic luminophores exhibit phenomenon of aggregation induced quenching. Due to this phenomenon photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of the solid samples of the materials are considerable lower than those of the dilute solutions. In 2001 the opposite phenomenon of aggregation induced emission (AIE) was discovered by the group of B.Z. Tang [Chem. Commun., 2001, DOI: 10.1039/b105159h]. AIE refers to a photophysical phenomenon shown by a group of luminogenic materials that are non-emissive when they are dissolved in good solvents but become highly luminescent when they are clustered in poor solvents or in solid state as aggregates [Adv. Mater., 2014, DOI: 10.1002/adma.201401356]. The related phenomenon to AIE is aggregation enhanced emission (AEE), which is determined as the enhancement of emission (increase of PLQY) upon aggregation [Prog. Polym. Sci., 2012, DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2011.08.002] Some researchers including those who discovered AIE often use the same term of AIE for the both classes of materials. Restriction of intramolecular motions is regarded to be as the main cause for the AIE and AEE effects and the the design of new AIE luminogens is based on this mechanism [Chem. Rev., 2015, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00263]. For detailed information please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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| Genetically-encoded biosensors for metabolic engineering and improved biosynthesis of platform chemicals |
prof. dr. Naglis Malys |
state-funded |
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The synthesis and properties of alternative binding materials
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prof. dr. Kęstutis BALTAKYS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
The enormous increment of greenhouse gas emission and wastes generation leads to environmental concerns: air, water and soil pollution, global warming, health issues and others. In fact, the production of cementitious materials accounts ~50 % of global production, consequently cement industry emit 6-8 % of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and 7-12 % of industrial sources emissions. In addition, the production of cementitious materials requires a huge amount of natural resources and energy (4.7-6.3 GJ of energy is used in order to produce 1 ton of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (12-15 % of industrial consumption and 3-5 % of the world's total energy consumption)). For these reasons, the cement industry and the scientific community have been looking for alternative approaches in order to reduce the harmful effects on the environment. Seeking these goals, the cement industry not only uses alternative fuels, various additives and waste but also focuses on the development of new production technologies. However, the application of the above mentioned technologies can only partially reduce the negative effects on the environment. Thus it is generally recognized that, in order to reduce CO2 emission and energy consumption, a new environmentally friendly cementitious materials, which requires lower calcination temperatures and/or lower CaO/SiO2 molar ratio (in OPC ~3), should be created and applied worldwide. For further information please contact the supervisor of the topic.
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