Dr Ciara O’Brien

Ciara is working on understanding starch granule initiation and metabolism in potato tubers.

Starch is an important source of carbohydrates which provide energy to plants, and to people when we eat the grains, tubers, and fruits. The size, shape, and composition of starch granules in the potatoes affects the cooking properties and how our bodies absorb these carbohydrates.
Starch also has many industrial applications, such as components of biofilms, in pharmaceuticals, and in the food industry. Since some starch is lost from food during processing, utilising the starch in these other industries reduces the overall losses in the food industry, through contributing to a circular economy. Altering the physicochemical properties of the starch granules can improve their function in these other industries, and give the possibility of new applications.

Previously, Ciara completed their PhD with the Plant Science Laboratory at Cranfield University, and studied undergraduate Genetics at Trinity College Dublin. During their PhD, Ciara worked as a research assistant on the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES) project, and an InnovateUK project in collaboration with Elsoms Seeds.