Ayesha's research sits at the meeting point of two pressing questions in food science: how to build more sustainable food sources, and how to make sure those foods genuinely nourish the people who eat them.

‘I have always been intrigued by plant-based food, not only in how we can create more sustainable food sources, but also in how we can make them taste and look good enough that people come back for more and continue to consume them,’ Ayesha said. ‘That matters even more in a day and age where food insecurity is becoming a rising concern.’

Her project focused on okara, the soybean pulp left over from soy milk and tofu production. Okara is rich in fibre and protein, and incorporating it into everyday staples such as bread offers a way to turn a food industry by-product into a nutritious ingredient. The open question is how well the body can make use of those nutrients, particularly among older adults, whose digestive conditions differ from those of younger people.

To investigate this, Ayesha brought together two lines of analysis. She used an in vitro digestion model, a laboratory simulation of the digestive process, adapted to reflect the gastrointestinal conditions of older adults, such as lower stomach acidity and reduced digestive enzyme activity. With it, she measured how much of the protein in wheat bread samples, prepared with different levels of okara substitution, was actually digested. She also analysed the same samples for their antinutrient content (the level of naturally occurring compounds in plant foods that can interfere with how the body absorbs nutrients). Reading the two sets of results side by side allowed her to trace connections between okara levels, fibre, antinutrients and protein digestion.

‘Researching how okara-substituted breads are digested, especially under the stomach conditions of elderly people, gave me the opportunity to contribute new knowledge to the food security scene,’ she said. ‘That further solidified my interest in the topic.’