PhD Studentship: Yoghurt - enhancing satiety through the gut microbiota
Project ID: 2605 RIY
Type of studentship: PhD (4 years)
Funding Source: Fully funded 4-year PhD (BBSRC Food Consortium Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award)
Theme of project: diary, gut microbiology, gut models,
Primary Host Institution: University of Reading, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences,
Secondary Institution: Imperial College London
Industry Partner: Yeo Valley
Project Overview:
We all have billions of bacteria living within us, these microbial inhabitants break down leftover foods and produce end products that can impact on our health. This project brings in multidisciplinary expertise including nutrition, gut health, cell microbiology, and farming practices; and is aiming at achieving a deeper understanding of what components in yoghurt can enhance satiety, hence influencing healthier weight/BMI control.
Links between the gut microbiota and satiety have been observed. This means that by altering the microbiota we can possibly have impact on satiety. In this project you will explore different yoghurt preparations and determine in in vitro gut model systems how they impact on the microbiota and metabolites. Through cell microbiology work at Imperial College London the impact of these microbial changes on satiety hormones will be explored.
The project will explore how different farming approaches can impact on the protein profiles of milk. Ultimately, you will carry out a human study using a yoghurt preparation that may influence satiety mechanisms. The plan is to determine whether the selected intervention can help reduce satiety in overweight adults.
The student will benefit fully from the collaboration with Yeo Valley, including the opportunity to undertake a placement during the PhD. Flexible arrangements will be available to support inclusive working and studying during the placement. During the placement, you will have the opportunity to immerse in Yeo Valley’s team, learning Yeo Valley’s food, farming & health research as well as yoghurt & fermentation technologies. You will also have the opportunity to be part of cross-functional meetings, learning our business & how we deliver most sustainable foods to market.
The selected candidate will gain skills in a wide range of laboratory techniques, gut microbiology, ethical applications and experience of conducting human intervention studies. Furthermore, the industrial nature of this project also offers a greater understanding of working with industry, and learning yogurt & fermentation techniques.
Why choose this project?
You will receive project specific training in:
- In vitro gut modelling
- Metabolic profiling (including gas chromatography, Liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy)
- Microbial analysis including: SCFA analysis, bacterial sequencing and metabogenomics
- Cell culture work and analysis of satiety hormones
- Milk and protein analysis
- Human trials including: experience of project management, people and ethical considerations
- Good clinical practice
- Statistical techniques
During your PhD studentship you will have the opportunity to develop your scientific communication skills (oral presentations, paper writing, thesis writing). You will also undertake training in transferable skills delivered by the University of Reading Researcher Development Programme.
The student will be primarily based in the gut microbiology lab, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, where you will be supported through training in a range of laboratory techniques. Dr Gemma Walton (GW) and the student will hold weekly one-on-one meetings, GW runs an open-door policy, so meets most students more often than once a week. To keep the project wider team updated there will be quarterly update meetings. GW and the student will arrange additional meetings as required with Professor Gary Frost, Dr Kirsty Kliem and Dr Ray Zhang via Microsoft Teams. Students can expect feedback on work usually within two weeks of submission, but in busier periods this may take up to three weeks, short pieces of work will usually be turned around within a week.
The Food Consortium IDLA
This project is part of the Food Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) providing a world-class training programme combining research-led innovation with real-world industry application. It brings together 8 leading UK food manufacturers and Universities to address the challenges facing the UK food and drink sector. Students will receive high level entrepreneurial training provided by Haydn Green Institute, bespoke business training by global players in the food industry and will have free access to the IFST platform MyCPD for career development. Participating in an IDLA programme has the additional benefit that students will join an interdisciplinary cohort of students working on food sector challenges focusing on both people and planet.
The Food Consortium IDLA is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, welcoming applications from all backgrounds and fostering an environment where every researcher can thrive.
The student will benefit fully from the collaboration with Yeo Valley, including the opportunity to undertake a placement at a UK site during the PhD. Flexible arrangements will be available to support inclusive working and studying during the placement. During the placement, you will have the opportunity to immerse in Yeo Valley’s Food Science team, learning yoghurt & fermentation technologies. You will also have the opportunity to be part of cross-functional business discussions, learning how we deliver a yoghurt product from lab to scale up to supermarket shelf.
Supervisory Team:
University of Reading: Dr Gemma Walton (primary supervisor), Dr Kirsty Kliem
Imperial College London: Professor Gary Frost, Dr Aygul Dagbasi
Yeo Valley: Dr Ray Zhang, Fay Cooke
Keywords: Yoghurt, microbiota, satiety, gut
Start date: October 2026
Duration of award: 48 months
Terms and conditions: Fully funded for four years by Food Consortium IDLA and Nestlé. The studentship covers UK tuition fees plus enhanced annual UKRI stipend (£22,280 tax free for 2025/26 entry).
International students may apply but must cover the difference between Home and International fees which is ~£20k pa (2025/26 figure).
Stipend and fees will be confirmed by BBSRC later in the Spring.
Candidate Profile:
We are looking for applicants with enthusiasm for working in a multidisciplinary team
Essential
- at least a BSc (2:1) in biological sciences, microbiology, nutrition, food science, or a closely related subject
- a background in one or more of the following: microbiology, gut health or nutrition
- an interest in satiety
- excellent communication skills
Desirable
- microbiology laboratory experience.
Due to the multidisciplinary nature of this program, we do not expect the successful candidate to have knowledge and experience in all relevant areas. Full support and training will be provided by experienced staff.
English language requirements:
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements.
How to apply:
- Download the application form: Click the button below to download the fillable PDF form.
- Complete the form: Open the PDF on your computer and fill in all required fields. Please do not edit the PDF structure; only complete the fields provided.
- Save your completed form: Save the file with the following naming format: IDLA [Project Code] [Your Surname] (e.g., IDLA 2605 RIY Surname.pdf).
- Submit your application: Email the completed PDF to idla@reading.ac.uk. Make sure your email subject line reads: IDLA 2605 RIY [Your Surname]
Closing date for applications: 28th February 2026