Prof. Anwesha Sarkar

Professor Anwesha Sarkar is an Indian food scientist and entrepreneur whose academic career at the University of Leeds has produced research with far-reaching implications for global health. Born and educated in India, she completed a BTech in Dairy Engineering at the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences and an MS in Food Technology at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore. She went on to complete her PhD in food colloids at Massey University in New Zealand, before returning to work as an application scientist at Nestlé’s Global Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Sarkar joined the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds in 2014, eventually becoming Professor of Colloids and Surfaces and Director of Research and Innovation for the school. Her research sits at the crossroads of colloid science, oral tribology, and human health — specifically, she studies the molecular mechanisms that govern texture, lubrication, and sensory perception when we eat and drink. Her work has produced over 130 peer-reviewed publications, 8 patents, and significant recognition: she is the recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry Food Group Junior Medal (2019), the Society of Chemical Industry McBain Medal (2024), and the Institute of Food Technologists Research and Development Award (2024), as well as the University of Leeds Women of Achievement Award (2021).

Drawing on her European Research Council-funded research into fat lubrication and oral processing, Sarkar founded MicroLub Ltd — a University of Leeds spinout — to commercialise a technology she discovered during her ERC projects. MicroLub’s innovation is a scaffold made of plant protein and water coated in polysaccharides that can replace fats and oils in food products, replicating the creamy mouthfeel of full-fat foods while cutting calorie content by up to 75% with no noticeable sensory change. As Founder and CTO of MicroLub, she sits alongside CEO David Peters.

In October 2024, MicroLub closed a £3.5 million seed round led by Northern Gritstone, with co-investors LIFTT and NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance. The company already has commercial traction with major food and dairy companies. Sarkar also serves as Project Leader and Co-Director of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), a multimillion-pound BBSRC-funded initiative spanning 150+ industrial and research partners focused on the future of sustainable protein.