Professor Stefan Kasapis
Professor, Food Science
Details
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College: School of Science
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Department: School of Science
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Campus: Bundoora West Australia
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stefan.kasapis@rmit.edu.au
Open to
- Media enquiries
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
About
Professor of Food Science with over 30 years of experience working with the food industry to develop/improve novel and healthy formulations.
As an early career researcher, Prof. Kasapis further developed his interest in the structural, nutritional and bioactive functionality of materials. These include dietary fibre and protein as model systems in the presence of lipids and other co-solutes (e.g., sugars and their replacers) or bioactive compounds (e.g., vitamins and antioxidants) in order to develop novel formulations for the food and nutraceutical industries. He was fortunate in the early days of his research work to be mentored by leading authorities in his field, e.g. Prof. John Mitchell at the University of Nottingham/UK who was Editor of Carbohydrate Polymers (SJR Q1).
Through the years, Prof. Kasapis held several administrative appointments, including Assistant Dean of Research, Head of the Department of Food Sciences, Head of Food Sciences Research Drive, and Coordinator of the Graduate Programme in Food Sciences. At RMIT University, he is responsible for the coordination/delivery of several advanced food technology courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Prof. Kasapis maintains a strong research focus, currently heading a research group of 12 PhD students funded by ARC Linkage, Australia Awards, Research Training Scheme (RTS), and the School of Science at RMIT. Two postdoctoral research workers are currently employed in his laboratory funded by ARC Linkage and the fight food waste (FFW) CRC. He has established a laboratory in the techno- and bio-functionality of food materials, and utilises the central research facilities of RMIT University for his research in the City and Bundoora campus.
Industry experience:
Prof. Kasapis has worked extensively with food industry around the world in the development of a range of novel food products which resulted in the following intellectual property for the industry partner:
Patents:
2020 - Nassar, N., Istivan, T. & Kasapis, S. Formulations for delivery of bioactive agents. Australian Patent 2020904616.
2010 - Foo, C.W., Kasapis, S., Koh, L.W. & Jiang, B. Alginate use to encapsulate starch in instant soup-based rice noodle. WO Patent 022764.
2004 - Kasapis, S., Al-Oufi, H. S. & Al-Maamari, S. Minced fish products of improved eating quality. GCC Patent 4037.
2003 - Kasapis, S., Al-Oufi, H. S. & Al-Maamari, S. Minced fish products of improved eating quality. Irish Patent 2003/0921.
2001 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos, S. Water-continuous spread. UK Patent 2 323 092 B.
1998 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos. S. Water-continuous spread. UK Patent 2 323 092 A.
1998 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos. S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 864 255 A2.
1997 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. United States Patent 5 614 245.
1995 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 672 350 B1.
1995 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 672 350 A2.
Awards:
2016 - RMIT Award for Research Excellence (Technology)
1998 - Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry Food Group
1994 - “Runner Up” Award and Second Prize in the Open Session of the Institute of Food Science and Technology Annual Conference
As an early career researcher, Prof. Kasapis further developed his interest in the structural, nutritional and bioactive functionality of materials. These include dietary fibre and protein as model systems in the presence of lipids and other co-solutes (e.g., sugars and their replacers) or bioactive compounds (e.g., vitamins and antioxidants) in order to develop novel formulations for the food and nutraceutical industries. He was fortunate in the early days of his research work to be mentored by leading authorities in his field, e.g. Prof. John Mitchell at the University of Nottingham/UK who was Editor of Carbohydrate Polymers (SJR Q1).
Through the years, Prof. Kasapis held several administrative appointments, including Assistant Dean of Research, Head of the Department of Food Sciences, Head of Food Sciences Research Drive, and Coordinator of the Graduate Programme in Food Sciences. At RMIT University, he is responsible for the coordination/delivery of several advanced food technology courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Prof. Kasapis maintains a strong research focus, currently heading a research group of 12 PhD students funded by ARC Linkage, Australia Awards, Research Training Scheme (RTS), and the School of Science at RMIT. Two postdoctoral research workers are currently employed in his laboratory funded by ARC Linkage and the fight food waste (FFW) CRC. He has established a laboratory in the techno- and bio-functionality of food materials, and utilises the central research facilities of RMIT University for his research in the City and Bundoora campus.
Industry experience:
Prof. Kasapis has worked extensively with food industry around the world in the development of a range of novel food products which resulted in the following intellectual property for the industry partner:
Patents:
2020 - Nassar, N., Istivan, T. & Kasapis, S. Formulations for delivery of bioactive agents. Australian Patent 2020904616.
2010 - Foo, C.W., Kasapis, S., Koh, L.W. & Jiang, B. Alginate use to encapsulate starch in instant soup-based rice noodle. WO Patent 022764.
2004 - Kasapis, S., Al-Oufi, H. S. & Al-Maamari, S. Minced fish products of improved eating quality. GCC Patent 4037.
2003 - Kasapis, S., Al-Oufi, H. S. & Al-Maamari, S. Minced fish products of improved eating quality. Irish Patent 2003/0921.
2001 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos, S. Water-continuous spread. UK Patent 2 323 092 B.
1998 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos. S. Water-continuous spread. UK Patent 2 323 092 A.
1998 - Gupta, B.B., Kasapis, S. & Alevisopoulos. S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 864 255 A2.
1997 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. United States Patent 5 614 245.
1995 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 672 350 B1.
1995 - Gupta, B.B. & Kasapis, S. Water-continuous spread. European Patent 0 672 350 A2.
Awards:
2016 - RMIT Award for Research Excellence (Technology)
1998 - Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry Food Group
1994 - “Runner Up” Award and Second Prize in the Open Session of the Institute of Food Science and Technology Annual Conference
Supervisor projects
- Binding of non-catalytic dietary fibre substrates to digestive enzymes
- 17 Jan 2024
- Enhancing nutritional profiles of grains and pulses through bioprocessing strategies
- 10 May 2023
- Stimuli responsive on-off switching in bioactive compound release from high-solid biopolymer systems
- 14 Dec 2022
- Protein-phenolic interactions in ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed liquid food systems
- 23 Nov 2022
- Novel Designs for the Inclusion of Hydrogels in Monoacylglycerol-Based Oleogels
- 29 Mar 2022
- Protein-polyphenol interaction during UHT
- 16 Dec 2021
- Molecular characterisation of interactions between lectin protein from common mushroom (Agaricus bisphorus) with dietary carbohydrates
- 17 May 2021
- Modelling the diffusion kinetics of bioactive compounds from composite gels of protein with polysaccharide
- 17 May 2021
- Protein-phenolic interactions in ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed liquid food systems
- 28 Sep 2020
- Plant based food valorisation through producing functional food ingredients
- 13 Dec 2019
- Structuring of low-fat products via water inclusion in semi-solid edible oleogel systems
- 21 Nov 2019
- Use of Z-stack imaging to quantify the phase behaviour of biomaterial composites in relation to theoretical predictions of blending laws from rheological measurements
- 20 May 2019
- The Role of Vitrification on the Molecular Transport and Oxidation of Bioactive Compounds in Condensed Systems of Natural Polymers
- 19 Dec 2018
- The Influence of Structural Morphology and Swelling Behaviour on Diffusive Transport of Bioactives from Crosslinked Hydrogel Systems
- 19 Dec 2018
- Improving The Functional Properties of Lupin Protein for Food Applications
- 14 Dec 2018
- Fundamental Studies on the Nature of Protein/Phenolic Interactions, their Role in Diffusion Kinetics and their Binding Characteristics Following Ultra-high Temperature Processing
- 24 Aug 2018
- pH and Thermal Processing Effects on the Conformational Structure of ß-Lactoglobulin in Mixture with Phenolic Acids
- 1 May 2018
- Development of an Oral Controlled-Release Drug Delivery System for Therapeutic Peptides
- 31 Jan 2018
- Diffusion and Relaxation Contributions in the Release of Bioactive Compound from a Moving Boundary of Genipin-crosslinked Biopolymer Matrices
- 1 May 2017
- Diffusion Coefficient Modelling of Natural Bioactives from Crosslinked Hydrocolloid Matrices Under Moving Boundary Conditions
- 1 Mar 2017
- Medicinal Honey for Cholesterol Homeostasis and the Structure of Delivery Hydrogels
- 7 Oct 2016
- Modeling water and counterion partition in composite gels of BSA with gelatin following thermal and high pressure treatment
- 2 Mar 2015
- Effect of UHT processing and microconstituent-macromolecule interactions in model liquid systems enriched with insoluble fibre
- 21 Jul 2014
Teaching interests
Supervisor interest areas:
Valorisation of waste products
Behaviour of food systems under high pressure/temperature
Optimisation of plant protein flavour and functionality
Novel bioactive delivery systems
Incorporation of insoluble dietary fibres
Structure/function relationships in novel food products
Sensory evaluation of processed formulations
Supervisor projects:
Protein interactions in UHT/HPP processed plant protein systems
Protein-phenolic interactions in ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed liquid food systems
Seasonal waste effect upon potential value of the circular economy
Stimuli responsive on-off switching in bioactive compound release from high-solid biopolymer systems
Use of Z-stack imaging to quantify the phase behaviour of biomaterial composites in relation to theoretical predictions of blending laws from rheological measurements
Inclusion of plant based materials in novel beverage formulations
Identification extraction and isolation of phytochemicals from plant sources (mushrooms, pitaya fruit, oats & wheat) for inhibition of digestive enzymes and enhancement of nutritional profile in processed food
Programs (https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/science/food-science-and-technology):
BP199 - Bachelor of Science (Food Technology and Nutrition)
MC237 - Master of Food Science and Technology
Valorisation of waste products
Behaviour of food systems under high pressure/temperature
Optimisation of plant protein flavour and functionality
Novel bioactive delivery systems
Incorporation of insoluble dietary fibres
Structure/function relationships in novel food products
Sensory evaluation of processed formulations
Supervisor projects:
Protein interactions in UHT/HPP processed plant protein systems
Protein-phenolic interactions in ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed liquid food systems
Seasonal waste effect upon potential value of the circular economy
Stimuli responsive on-off switching in bioactive compound release from high-solid biopolymer systems
Use of Z-stack imaging to quantify the phase behaviour of biomaterial composites in relation to theoretical predictions of blending laws from rheological measurements
Inclusion of plant based materials in novel beverage formulations
Identification extraction and isolation of phytochemicals from plant sources (mushrooms, pitaya fruit, oats & wheat) for inhibition of digestive enzymes and enhancement of nutritional profile in processed food
Programs (https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/science/food-science-and-technology):
BP199 - Bachelor of Science (Food Technology and Nutrition)
MC237 - Master of Food Science and Technology
Research interests
Research interests focus on the conformation-structure-function relationships of plant/marine/bacterial polysaccharides in model systems, and in the presence of proteins, lipids and other co-solutes (e.g., sugars) or bioactive compounds (e.g., antioxidants) in order to develop novel products for the food and nutraceutical industries.
Low and high-solid biomaterials increasingly include a number of proteins and non-starchy polysaccharides to deliver a range of properties such as structure, storage stability, processability and delivery control in a wide range of products. Under various conditions of industrial processing, food ingestion and drug delivery, proteins and polysaccharides exhibit a wide range of conformational properties, which should be understood on fundamental grounds for successful development of added value formulations.
Research interests also encompass the field of preventing/masking malodorous flavour owing to the use of plant protein isolates in processed foods, which is a significant barrier to their use as replacers of animal based proteins. This work has led to fundamental studies on the high temperature interactions between proteins and phenolic compounds, in which, for the first time, covalent adducts were found to have formed as a direct result of heat treatment.
Research keywords
Plant proteins, Phenolics, Dietary fibre, Fat replacers, Diffusion, Bioactive compound delivery, Glass transition
Low and high-solid biomaterials increasingly include a number of proteins and non-starchy polysaccharides to deliver a range of properties such as structure, storage stability, processability and delivery control in a wide range of products. Under various conditions of industrial processing, food ingestion and drug delivery, proteins and polysaccharides exhibit a wide range of conformational properties, which should be understood on fundamental grounds for successful development of added value formulations.
Research interests also encompass the field of preventing/masking malodorous flavour owing to the use of plant protein isolates in processed foods, which is a significant barrier to their use as replacers of animal based proteins. This work has led to fundamental studies on the high temperature interactions between proteins and phenolic compounds, in which, for the first time, covalent adducts were found to have formed as a direct result of heat treatment.
Research keywords
Plant proteins, Phenolics, Dietary fibre, Fat replacers, Diffusion, Bioactive compound delivery, Glass transition
