Erez Cohen
PGR Students
Erez Cohen joined the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich in December 2025 as a full-time research student, fully funded by the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. As a UK-based researcher, he has an academic background in food science and the molecular life sciences. He completed his BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University in 2023, followed by an MSc in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology at Queen Mary University of London in 2025.
His doctoral research focuses on developing plant-based meat alternatives from underutilised plant proteins using High Moisture Extrusion (HME). He is particularly interested in how processing and ingredient choices shape the texture and quality of meat analogues, and in broadening the range of sustainable, plant-based protein sources available to the food sector.
Bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective from biotechnology into food structuring, Erez is motivated by the potential of overlooked crops to support more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Keywords: high moisture extrusion, plant-based meat, alternative proteins, meat analogues, sustainable protein, food biotechnology.
Primary Supervisor
Dr Vahid Baeghbali
Senior Fellow in Food Innovation
Secondary Supervisor(s)
Dr Parag Acharya
Associate Professor in Food Innovation
Thesis Title
Development of next-generation plant-based meat alternatives using underutilised alternative protein sources through High Moisture Extrusion
Project Description
Erez Cohen’s research explores how underutilised plant proteins can be turned into the next generation of plant-based meat alternatives using High Moisture Extrusion (HME)—a process that imparts plant proteins with the fibrous, layered texture associated with meat. His focus is on protein sources that are currently overlooked by the food sector, chosen with nutrition and common dietary needs in mind.
The project examines how processing conditions and ingredient choices influence the texture, structure, and overall quality of the final product, combining food-structuring science with a strong sustainability focus. The broader aim is to widen the range of plant proteins that can serve as a credible basis for meat alternatives, supporting more diverse and resilient sustainable-protein supply chains.
Keywords: high moisture extrusion, plant-based meat, alternative proteins, meat analogues, sustainable protein, food texture.
2025 – Fully funded PhD studentship, Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein.
Erez Cohen joined the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich in December 2025 as a full-time research student, fully funded by the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. As a UK-based researcher, he has an academic background in food science and the molecular life sciences. He completed his BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University in 2023, followed by an MSc in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology at Queen Mary University of London in 2025.
His doctoral research focuses on developing plant-based meat alternatives from underutilised plant proteins using High Moisture Extrusion (HME). He is particularly interested in how processing and ingredient choices shape the texture and quality of meat analogues, and in broadening the range of sustainable, plant-based protein sources available to the food sector.
Bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective from biotechnology into food structuring, Erez is motivated by the potential of overlooked crops to support more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Keywords: high moisture extrusion, plant-based meat, alternative proteins, meat analogues, sustainable protein, food biotechnology.
Primary Supervisor
Dr Vahid Baeghbali
Senior Fellow in Food Innovation
Secondary Supervisor(s)
Dr Parag Acharya
Associate Professor in Food Innovation
Thesis Title
Development of next-generation plant-based meat alternatives using underutilised alternative protein sources through High Moisture Extrusion
Project Description
Erez Cohen’s research explores how underutilised plant proteins can be turned into the next generation of plant-based meat alternatives using High Moisture Extrusion (HME)—a process that imparts plant proteins with the fibrous, layered texture associated with meat. His focus is on protein sources that are currently overlooked by the food sector, chosen with nutrition and common dietary needs in mind.
The project examines how processing conditions and ingredient choices influence the texture, structure, and overall quality of the final product, combining food-structuring science with a strong sustainability focus. The broader aim is to widen the range of plant proteins that can serve as a credible basis for meat alternatives, supporting more diverse and resilient sustainable-protein supply chains.
Keywords: high moisture extrusion, plant-based meat, alternative proteins, meat analogues, sustainable protein, food texture.
2025 – Fully funded PhD studentship, Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein.