CMR hosts PhD summer internship
This summer the Centre for Metabolomics Research (CMR) hosted an Agrifood and Environment PhD student from Cranfield University on a 6-week internship.
Abimbola Oluwakayode joined the Centre on a Professional Internship for PhD students (PIPS), which forms part of her PhD training. Using infrared and Raman imaging, Abi explored the adulteration of wheat flour with lower grade materials. Adulteration is the addition of undeclared ingredients (adulterants) in products to increase its weight or volume, or to improve its appearance or taste.
During her placement, Abi gained valuable experience in using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy to detect various levels of adulteration in flour, as well as analysing the spectral data using MATLAB. The Centre has not investigated the adulteration of wheat flour to date, so this project was valuable to learn something new about this area where food security is so important.
Thanking the CMR team and in particular Joe Stradling, Abi confirmed that the placement was inciteful and rewarding. Abi commented: “Aside from the research work, I built strong connections with your supportive team, making my placement experience truly memorable.”
Abi also offered advice for postgraduate research students undertaking PIPS: "Search for your placement early within your programme and do a placement that would add value to you in terms of knowledge and relationship/collaboration."
Professor Roy Goodacre, who hosted Abi’s placement said: “We were delighted to host Abi for her placement, which also demonstrated to our students a positive example of PIPS. Our team found Abi a pleasure to work with and she showed a keen interest in learning the ins and outs of spectroscopy, MATLAB and chemometrics.”