Marangoni Group

University of Guelph
Canada Research Chair
• Tier 2: Food and Soft Materials Science (2001-
2011

• Tier 1: Food, Health and Aging

(2011-2018)

http://www.crcfoodandhealth.com

Marangoni appointed in 1991, Full Professor since 2001

 Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
• Research Program Director for Product
Development and Enhancement through
Value Chains Program (2008-2013)
 Marangoni Lab
Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Aging
Food and Soft Materials Science Laboratory
University of Guelph
http://www.crcfoodandhealth.com
Graduate Students:
Fan Wang, Ph.D.
Laboratory manager and Research Associate: Fernanda Peyronel, Ph.D.
Fernanda Peyronel Saeed Ghazani, Ph.D.
Collaborators and their teams: Braulio Macias, Ph.D.
David Pink – theoretical physics, St. Francis Xavier Alexia Blake, M.Sc.
Jorge Toro Vazquez – ologels, UASLP Chloe O’Sullivan, M.Sc.
Stefan Idziak – experimental physics, Waterloo Rachel Tanti, M.Sc.
Gianfranco Mazzanti – chemical engineering, Dalhousie Bethany Townsend, M.S.c.
Nuria Acevedo – nanotechnology, Iowa State Visiting Scientists: 4
Shai Barbut – meat science, Guelph Undegraduate Students: 6
Douglas Goff – frozen systems, Guelph
Rodrigo Campos – cocoa butter crystallization, MARS Postdoctoral Fellows:
Yukihiro Miyazaki – wax crystallization, KAO Maya Davidovich Pinhas
Research Assistants: Spin-off companies:
Saeed Mirzaee Ghazani Coasun, Inc.
Andrew Gravelle Omnis Biotechnology Inc
Whistler Performance Lubricants
 Editorships
• Food Research International, Elsevier Science (1998-2012):
Editor-in-Chief
– IF increase from 0.69 to 3.15

• Current Opinion in Food Science

Elsevier Science (2014): Editor-in-Chief

• The Lipid Library, AOCS (2014): Associate Editor

• Editorial Board of Food and Function (RSC), Food Digestion

(Springer), CyTA The Journal of Food (Taylor and Francis),
Food Research International

5
 Fat crystallization and structure
• Engineering the nanostructure of fats (Dr. Nuria
Acevedo) - collaboration
• Quantifying and modeling oil migration in fat crystal
networks (Dr. Farnaz Maleky) - collaboration
• Quantification of van der Waals forces within TAG
networks (Fernanda Peyronel)
• Structure factor calculations for TAGs – insight into the
nature of polymorphism (Prof. Stefan Idziak, Physics,
Uof Waterloo) – collaboration
• The prediction of SFC form molecular compositions
(Gianfranco Mazzanti, DAL University) – collaboration
 Fat crystallization and structure
• The use of USAXS for the in-situ characterization
of fat crystal network structure (Fernanda
Peyronel)
• The effects of external fields on the structure of
cocoa butter (Rodrigo Campos)
• The structure and properties of roll-in shortening
(Braulio Macias)
• Theory and computer simulations of fat crystal
networks under static and dynamic conditions
(David Pink)
 Fats and Oils Processing
• Minimal refining for health (Saeed Ghazani)
• The relationship of solid state structure with
whipping functionality in icing (Saeed
Ghazani)
• Analysis of minor components in oils (Saeed
Ghazani)
• Interesterification as a tool to modify oil
viscosity and melting behavior (Saeed
Ghazani)
 Oleogels
• Polymer Oleogels and pastes for diverse applications
including confectionery, baking, meat, green lubricants,
biofuels, and cosmetics (Andrew Gravelle).
Collaboration with Prof. Shai Barbut.

• The structure and gelation behavior of ethylcellulose

(Dr. Maya Davidovich-Pinhas and Andrew Gravelle)

• In vitro digestibility of EC oleogels and interactions of

EC with bioactives (Chloe O’Sullivan)
 Particle-filled networks
• The effects of particle type and particle size on
the mechanical properties and structure of
meat gels (Andrew Gravelle) – with Prof. Shai
Barbut.
 Polysaccharide foams as oil binding
agents
• The use of HPMC as an oil binding agent in
peanut butter (Rachel Tanti). With Prof. Shai
Barbut
 Waxes
• Mineral and synthetic wax crystal networks in
cosmetics: structure and functionality (KAO
Corporation, Yukihiro Miyazaki)

• Natural Wax crystal networks in structured

emulsions and bulk (Alexia Blake)
 Cosmetic Structure Emulsions
• Stabilization of o/w structure emulsions used
in cosmetic creams (Cendy Wang)

• Physical chemistry of phase transition

stabilization in crystal hydrates of
monoglycerides (Cendy Wang)
 Computer Simulations
with Prof. David Pink (St. Francis Xavier )
• Validity of mean field theories at the nanoscale
for TAG crystal networks (with Fernanda
Peyronel)
• Aggregation of TAG nanoplatelets into
mesoscopic assemblies
• Modelling USAXS patterns used as a structural
probe for the nano and mesoscale organization of
fats
• Effects of shear on supramolecular assembly in
fats (with Beth Townsend)
 Center for the simulation of
biomaterials structure and
functionality
with Prof. David Pink (St. Francis Xavier )
 IP Developed with UofG
• Roll-in shortening fully in beta polymorphic
form with full lamination functionality (30%
sats) – now outside (Omnis Biotechnology Inc)
• Laminar shear machine for structuring
crystallizing fats and polymers
• Liposome technology for co-delivery of lipid
and water soluble bioactives
• Ceramide Organogelator
 IP Developed outside UofG

• Novel structured emulsion used as a dough

shortening in most baking applications (Coasun
Inc.) – currently licensed in Europe and Korea
• Ethylcellulose-surfactant oleogels (only
application in meats available)
• Thixotropic pastes of polymers in oils (Omnis
Biotechnology Inc.) – cosmetics, food, lubricants
• Biolubricants
 Contact
Alejandro G. Marangoni, Ph.D.
Professor and Canada Research Chair
Dept. of Food Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1H6J3
amarango@uoguelph.ca