Scientist > Dr Birgitta Zielbauer

Dr Birgitta Zielbauer

// studied physics at the University of Heidelberg and received her doctorate there in 2007 in the field of nanotechnology

// After two years as a visiting researcher in France, she has been a research assistant in the "Soft Matter Food Science" lab led by Professor Thomas Vilgis at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz (Germany) since 2009

// Her activities focus in particular on using the methods of material analysis to conduct research into the physical foundations of the properties and structure of foodstuffs

// She also has lab management responsibilities and provides support for a wide range of experimental methods in food physics and chemistry at the MPI for Polymer Research in Mainz

Contact: laborundmore@succidia.de

From fat droplets in plant cells to novel foods

Functional nanoparticles - von Dr Birgitta Zielbauer, Prof. Behic Mert, Prof. Thomas Vilgis

Occurring naturally in oilseeds, oleosomes are particles with special properties. Depending on the plant variety, their size ranges from microns down into the nanoscale. These particles, with their protein-functionalized surfaces, are structurally very stable indeed. This makes them relevant for fundamental research and pharmacology, and also for innovative applications in food science.