About the Project
One full scholarship is available in the School of Food Science and Nutrition in 2026/27. This scholarship is open to UK (Home) and International candidates and covers UK tuition fees as well as a UKRI matched stipend (currently £21,805 in 2026/27). International students will be required to cover the fee difference between home and international fees.
Please see the full advert on the University of Leeds institution website.
This fully funded PhD place provides an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in a range of fields relating to Nutrition, Food Science, Immunology and Protein Biochemistry.
Vitamin B12 is essential for human health, as it is required for erythropoiesis, DNA synthesis, and normal neurological function. The risk of vitamin B12 deficiency is highest in populations with low habitual intake of animal-source foods (e.g., vegans and some vegetarians unless consuming fortified foods and/or supplements), in older adults due to reduced gastric acid secretion and intrinsic factor availability, and in individuals with malabsorption disorders or a history of gastrointestinal surgery. Accordingly, targeted screening, food fortification, and supplementation remain key public-health strategies.
In parallel, the increasing incorporation of insects into human diets has stimulated interest from the food and feed industries in insects as alternative sources of macro- and micronutrients. This project aims to optimise vitamin B12 production in black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), with potential applications in nutraceutical ingredients and fortified formulations for food and feed. Optimised BSFL will be subjected to a standardized in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model, and vitamin B12 bioaccessibility will be quantified. Bioavailability will subsequently be assessed using cell-based intestinal models to elucidate absorption and transepithelial transport.
This PhD project within the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) will investigate black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as an innovative, sustainable platform to enhance vitamin B12 content and to determine whether BSFL-derived vitamin B12 can become bioaccessible and bioavailable following gastrointestinal digestion. The overarching goal is to generate robust evidence supporting the use of optimised BSFL as a micronutrient-rich ingredient for nutraceutical and food/feed fortification strategies, particularly relevant to populations at heightened risk of vitamin B12 insufficiency.
This project aims to:
- Optimisation of vitamin B12 production in BSFL through controlled rearing and feeding/processing strategies designed to increase vitamin B12 levels in larval biomass.
- In vitro gastrointestinal digestion (standardised model) of optimised BSFL to simulate human digestion and generate digesta suitable for downstream assessment of micronutrient release.
- Quantification of vitamin B12 bioaccessibility, determining the fraction of vitamin B12 released into the soluble/digestible phase after digestion and therefore potentially available for uptake.
- Evaluation of intestinal bioavailability using cell-based models, assessing absorption-related endpoints (e.g., uptake and transepithelial transport) to clarify the potential of BSFL-derived vitamin B12 to be absorbed in the gut.
This project is with the collaboration of Fairman Knight and Sons UK Limited (www.fairmanknightandsons.com). In addition to most of the experimental work carried out at the University of Leeds, there is involvement of Prof Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Ph.D. is a Professor, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow, & Presidential Impact Fellow in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University as external supervisor, providing an opportunity for the student to conduct some of the work at Texas A&M University.
Information about the Award
- We are offering one full-time PhD scholarship in the School of Food Science and Nutrition for one UK or International status candidate, covering UK tuition fees and a UKRI matched maintenance stipend (currently £21,805 in 2026/27) for 3.5 years, all subject to satisfactory progress. International students will be required to cover the fee difference between home and international fees.
Duration of the Award
- Full-time (3.5 years). The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for a further period of up to three years, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Other Conditions
- Applicants must not have already been awarded or be currently studying for a doctoral degree.
- Award must be taken up by 1st February 2027.
- Applicants must live within a reasonable distance to the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship.
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