MicroLub: A novel microgel-based superlubricating formulation for fat replacement applications

减少食物中的脂肪是显著减少卡路里摄入量的可行策略，因此，脂肪替代品分子在扭转肥胖危机的竞赛中很可能是重要的。到2027年，商业脂肪替代品市场预计将大幅增长至240亿欧元，这主要是由于公众对减脂食品的意识日益增强。然而，脂肪替代品行业面临着严峻的技术挑战，因为目前市场上销售的脂肪替代品没有完全模仿全脂替代品的润滑性能，因此无法达到消费者的期望。MicroLub项目的目的是将在ERC项目LubSat的背景下开发的具有超级润滑性的创新微凝胶技术转化为开发更有效的脂肪替代品成分。提出的技术创新包括可变形的多肽微凝胶，其接枝的糖呈片状、不均匀的形态。暴露的多肽区域通过疏水相互作用导致口腔表面的瞬时胶体涂层，而接枝的糖与水分子氢键形成微孔水合支架。这项技术因此结合了边界和流体膜润滑，这是迄今为止任何脂肪替代技术所无法实现的。通过4个工作包，我们将与经验丰富的行业合作伙伴密切合作，验证该配方的技术-商业可行性，并为这项突破性技术向关键行业参与者提供潜在许可创建框架。预期的结果旨在证明扩大规模的可行性和相对于竞争对手的技术性能的有效性，申请可许可的专利，并开发临时商业模式，使我们能够与选定的行业合作伙伴建立战略联盟，以推进这项技术的商业化，并最终为减少肥胖做出贡献

Reducing fat in foods is a viable strategy to significantly decrease calorie intake and thus, fat replacer molecules are likely to be important in the race towards reversing the obesity crisis. The commercial fat replacer market is expected to considerably increase to 24 billion Euros by 2027, largely fueled by the growing public awareness for reduced-fat foods. However, the fat replacer industry faces severe technological challenges because the currently marketed fat replacers do not fully emulate the lubrication performance of full fat counterparts and thus fail to achieve consumers' expectations. The aim of the MicroLub project is to translate an innovative microgel-based technology with superlubricity developed in the context of the ERC project LubSat, towards the development of a more effective fat replacer ingredient. The technological innovation proposed includes deformable polypeptide-based microgels with grafted saccharides in a patchy heterogenous morphology. The exposed polypeptide region lead to a transient colloidal coating of the oral surfaces via hydrophobic interactions, whilst the grafted saccharides hydrogen bond with water molecules to create a microporous hydrated scaffold. This technology thus combines boundary and fluid film lubrication, unachieved by any fat replacement technologies available to date. Working through 4 work-packages, we will validate the techno-commercial feasibility of the formulation in close cooperation with experienced industrial partners and create the framework for potential licensing of this breakthrough technology to key industrial players. The expected outcomes aim to demonstrate the up-scaling feasibility and validation of technical performance against competition, filing a licensable patent, and developing a provisional business model that will allow us to build strategic alliances with selected industrial partners to take forward the commercialization of this technology and finally contribute towards reducing obesity