Dottorati di Ricerca
Silvia Ruta
PhD student in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science | CoRFiLaC – Università degli Studi di Catania
Sezione di appartenenza: Chimica e Microbiologia Agraria – Di3A
Microbiology in dairy processing and ageing and the role of wooden tools
Activities of the research project:
- Discover whether mastredda effectively transferred microorganisms to the curd during the cheesemaking process of Provola dei Nebrodi PDO and Ragusano PDO cheeses by dependent and independent culture approaches. Those two kinds of cheese have been selected because in Provolola dei Nebrodi PDO the mastredda is used only for curd acidification, whereas in Ragusano PDO mastredda is used for curd acidification and moulding (after the stretching process). Therefore, in these two kinds of cheese “mastredda” biofilm could contribute differently in relation to the quantity of microorganisms transferred and the time the curd lise-on;
- Estimate the contribution of each species transferred from mastredda to the curd and to cheese investigating biochemical modifications. In detail: the technological traits of the strains isolated will be carried out. In addition, transcriptome will be detected in order to highlight carbohydrate fermentation pathways (in curd after acidification) and the proteolytic and lipolytic activity will be investigated in differents ripening stages;
- Discover if microorganisms present on wooden shelves biofilms could be transferred to the rind and to explore their contribute to the ripening of a Sicilian cheese listed in the foreword through a culture-independent approach and metatranscriptome analysis of proteolytic and lipolytic genes.
Giacomo Antonio Calandra Checco
PhD student in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science | CoRFiLaC – Università degli Studi di Catania
Sezione di appartenenza: Produzioni Animali – Di3A
Monitoring the aging process of Provola dei Nebrodi PDO cheese: Identification of aging environmental parameters to differentiate the final product
The Ph.D. project is focused on conducting a detailed analysis of how environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity, and airflow) during the aging process influence the quality of various Provola dei Nebrodi PDO cheese.
The Ph.D. project aims to assess the aging methods used by different farms in the Nebrodi area to determine whether they are adequate or need improvement to ensure the production of high-quality dairy products. The study involves continuous monitoring of environmental conditions and a comprehensive analysis of the chemical, physical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of cheeses during the aging phase to differentiate the aging process of the various types of Provola dei Nebrodi PDO cheese (Fresh; Partially Aged; Aged; Flaky; and with Green Lemon).
This project aims at a positive economic impact on farms while enhancing product quality.
Chiara Pisana
PhD student in Agri-food biotechnology | CoRFiLaC – Università degli Studi di Catania
Sezione di appartenenza: Biotecnologie agro-alimentari
Cheese Food Safety: biocontrol systems through bacteriophages and active compounds
Food safety issues constitute a crucial point in the protection of public health.
Food quality and safety depend on all steps involved in the complex chain of food production, processing, storage, and consumption.
Therefore, operational procedures are needed to ensure the wholesomeness of foodstuffs and packaging systems to guarantee preservation of physico-chemical and microbiological traits of the final product and to extend shelf-life.
Traditional fresh cheeses, in spite of their excellent reputation, represent a significant challenge due to their limited shelf-life and the loss of quality characteristics with the currently popular vacuum packaging system. Fresh cheeses are also characterised by a high moisture content and a rich nutritional profile, making them an ideal matrix for the development of microorganisms, both pathogenic and spoiler, that compromise their safety and limit their shelf-life, even under refrigerated conditions.
The objective of the present proposal is to develop an innovative system and evaluate its antimicrobial effect on traditional fresh cheeses, stored under different refrigeration conditions, to improve their safety profile and increase their competitiveness on the market.
Carmelo Campo
PhD student in Agri-food biotechnology | CoRFiLaC – IULM Milano
Sezione di appartenenza:
Application of neuromarketing techniques for the recognition and enhancement of the Made in Italy brand in the food sector: from the classification of stimuli with machine learning to the interpenetration between artificial intelligence and neuroscience
Il progetto si inquadra all’interno di due diversi macro-temi, quello dedicato al Made-in-Italy circolare e sostenibile e quello dell’Intelligenza Artificiale.
Nello specifico lo studio permette di sviluppare un sistema di analisi, e un conseguente processo di sviluppo strategico di miglioramento della comunicazione delle aziende italiane, attraverso processi di valorizzazione del brand. Tale attività si basa sulla valorizzazione di un sistema di classificazione con machine learning e di intelligenza artificiale. Queste attività possono contribuire allo sviluppo di una filiera italiana che parta dalla ricerca di frontiera e arrivi ai prodotti e ai servizi finali, considerando soprattutto il rafforzamento di competenze (valoriali e identitari) chiave di un’azienda.
In particolare, il progetto contribuisce ad affrontare le grandi sfide teoriche e computazionali aperte, come la comprensione dei meccanismi che permettono il funzionamento e il controllo della capacità predittiva di sistema neurometrici fondati sul machine learning e la IA. Il progetto comprende anche la connessione percezione-ragionamento-azione dei consumatori in uno studio sui processi percettivi di valore aziendale come previsto dai numerosi modelli di brand reputation e di brand relashionship.
