Apples from Orange

Three years ago the thought of commencing a Research Higher Degree had never crossed the mind of Vincent Candrawinata. Fast forward to today and Vincent has just commenced his second year of his PhD and last month won the University Three Minute Thesis final for his research into apple juice polyphenolic. 

It was during his final year of undergraduate study in Food Science and Human Nutrition that Vincent began looking into becoming a researcher. His supervisor, Costas Stathopoulos, played a large role in encouraging him to commence Honours.

“Costas sparked my interest in apple juice and the polyphenolics because he said I would be making apple juice from orange. I didn’t know that Orange is a name of a place. But that was enough to spark my interest in the project,” said Vincent.

What initially started as a bit of trickery on Costas’ behalf has turned into something of a passion for Vincent as he continues to focus on his research project which is set to benefit the Australian apple juice industry.

“What I am trying to do is to develop a safe and practical technique to extract the polyphenolic compounds from the pomace. Polyphenolics are one of the reasons behind an apple’s health benefit. Once I get the extracts and preserve the bioactivity through a process called encapsulation, I will be looking into suitable application within the food industry, such as a natural food additive,” explained Vincent.

Condensing this thesis into just three minutes and winning the University Three Minute Thesis final was an excellent and well deserved achievement for the PhD student.

“Vincent is a very intelligent and dedicated student. As he gains more experience and understanding of the science behind his project, his focus and determination to succeed take centre stage,” said Costas.

Vincent progressed through to the Three Minute Thesis Trans-Tasman semi finals which were held last Thursday October 11 at the University of Queensland.

Even though he just missed out on a place in the final eight, it is clear Vincent is already bearing the fruits of success and we wish him luck for all his future endeavours.

Watch Vincent deliver his presentation at the University finals below.