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Professor Brent S. Murray

Professor Brent S. Murray

  • Position: Professor of Food Colloids
  • Areas of expertise: colloids; emulsions; foams; dispersions; adsorption; proteins; polysaccharides; surfactants; interfacial tension; interfacial rheology; encapsulation; microgels; monolayers; confocal microscopy; AFM.
  • Email: B.S.Murray@food.leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 2962
  • Location: 1.24 Food Science & Nutrition (Stead House)

Profile

Brent Murray is Professor of Food Colloids in the Department, appointed as lecturer in January 1995. Prior to this he spent 3 years in ICI's corporate colloid research group (UK) and 3 years in the Department of Physical Chemistry Colloid Group at the University of Melbourne.

Responsibilities

  • Head of Food Colloids & Bioprocessing Research Group
  • Deputy Director of Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces CDT

Research interests

Brent's principal research interests are as follows:

  • Particle-stabilized foams and emulsions
  • Protein and polysaccharide microgel particles
  • Biopolymer complex formation as a route to novel encapsulation, emulsification and controlled delivery of functional food ingredients
  • Measurements of interfacial rheology and interfacial phase behaviour of adsorbed biopolymer/biosurfactant films in relation to emulsion and foam formation and stability, including use of Brewster angle microscopy
  • Development of methods for measuring the adsorption/desorption and conformation of biopolymers/biosurfactants at oil-water and air-water interfaces, such as Langmuir trough methods
  • Applications of confocal microscopy, bulk rheology and particle tracking techniques to understand the relationship between colloidal microstructure and bulk texture
  • Measurement of colloidal interaction forces between particles, e.g., emulsion droplets, via atomic force microscopy (AFM) and particle collision techniques, to enable predictions of emulsion rheology and stability, etc
  • Non-food uses of food materials in colloid and surface science technology

The laboratory is equipped for this work with various specialist pieces of equipment including: interfacial rheometers, surface tension apparatus, Langmuir troughs, Brewster angle microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), confocal laser scanning microscope, controlled stress rheometers, specialized bubble-forming rigs and pressure drop apparatus for foam stability measurements, excellent computing facilities.

This work has been sponsored by UK research councils, EU funding and in collaboration with a number of large national and international food companies. Post-doctoral fellows are very welcome to discuss related projects, funded for example via , UK Research Councils (BBSRC and EPSRC) the European Union (e.g., EU Marie Curie schemes) or the Royal Society, etc.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD
  • MRSC
  • BSc

Professional memberships

  • Royal Society of Chemistry

Student education

Past and present teaching responsibilities

  • Module Leader of Food Colloids modules.

Research groups and institutes

  • Food Colloids and Processing
  • Food Colloids and Soft Matter at Interfaces
  • Digestion and Delivery
  • Novel Food Design and Processing
  • Theoretical Modelling and Simulation
  • Functional Biopolymers for Food and Health

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>