CaVita-Phos · Predicting Effective Plant Phosphopeptide–Calcium Formulations Using Machine Learning for Ca/Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplement Development via Pickering Emulsion
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2026-10-01 → 2028-09-30
- EU contribution
- €202,125
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
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Project objective
As plant-based diets expand worldwide, ensuring adequate calcium (Ca) intake has become a pressing challenge. Ca is essential for bone, muscle, and dental health, while vitamins D₃ and K2 regulate its absorption and metabolism. Insufficient uptake of these nutrients can lead to osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, and other deficiency-related diseases. Casein phosphopeptides (CPPs) are the best-known bioactive ingredients used to chelate calcium and improve its bioavailability in supplements, but their limited extraction capacity and the environmental impact of milk production conflict with the SDG on responsible consumption and production, and they are unsuitable for those seeking dairy-free alternatives.This project will address this gap by developing plant-derived phosphopeptide–calcium (PPP–Ca) formulations from various plant proteins. First, a structural–physicochemical dataset will be established using high-resolution mass spectrometry, combined with systematic measurements of calcium chelating and bioaccessibility. Second, machine-learning models will be trained on this dataset to predict phosphorylation-dependent structures and identify PPP–Ca candidates that can near CPPs in Ca-chelating capacity and bioavailability. Third, PPP–Ca complexes will be evaluated as stabilizers in Pickering emulsions for the co-delivery of calcium and vitamins, aiming to enhance gastrointestinal stability and nutrient absorption.The fellowship will provide advanced research training in food chemistry, mass spectrometry, and machine learning at Kiel University (CAU) under the supervision of Prof. Karin Schwarz, followed by a secondment at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) under the supervision of Prof. Charlotte Jacobsen, offering complementary expertise in supplement formulation. Outcomes will contribute to sustainable, multifunctional supplements and significantly advance the fellow’s career development in interdisciplinary research, teaching, and leadership.
Original text from CORDIS.
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Data: CORDIS, © European Union