Molly Muleya

Contact

• workRoom B32 North Lab
  Sutton Bonington Campus
  Sutton Bonington
  Leicestershire
  LE12 5RD
  UK
• Molly.Muleya@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Molly's research is the interface of agriculture, food science, nutrition and health with interests in protein and mineral supply of food systems i.e. the composition in foods and adequacy in populations. Specifically, her research examines the protein and mineral digestibility/bioavailability of foods and interrogates multifaceted processes across the food system, that modify protein and mineral supply with the goal to address current global challenges related to food security, particularly malnutrition. She worked as a research fellow for the Future Food Beacon of the University of Nottingham and was also a recipient of a prestigious IMMANA research fellowship (Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions) at the University of Nottingham. She completed her PhD in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

Expertise Summary

Molly's key expertise is mainly in the development of in vitro digestion tools and resources to determine protein and mineral bioaccessibility and subsequently their supplies in food systems. She co-developed the modified high throughput method to measure mineral bioaccessibility (iron, zinc, calcium) using stable isotopes to enable accurate measurements. This unique method is being used to address important nutrient supply questions that would have been otherwise onerous to answer such as: 1. identification of globally important calcium food sources with high calcium bioaccessibility including understanding calcium bioaccessibility in fortified products 2. examining how iron bioaccessibility and supply is modified in the presence of soil contamination 3. understanding the interplay between digestion/absorption inhibitors (phytate, fiber, tannins) and iron and zinc bioaccessibility. Due to her involvement in international collaborations, she also implemented a recently established in vitro digestion method based on the INFOGEST standardized procedure to measure protein quality using the recommended digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS). This method is instrumental in evaluating the protein quality of novel and underutilized protein sources which urgently need to be developed in order to meet the protein needs of a growing and aging population. Further to this, Molly's work also involves understanding bioavailable protein and mineral intakes of individuals and populations using for example household consumption and expenditure surveys and food consumption data. To enable this work, she is interested in the development of bioavailability indexes and databases. She developed a database of protein digestibility and DIAAS scores of world foods which has so far led to the understanding of the protein and amino acid intakes of Malawian households.

Teaching Summary

Molly's interests are in the sustainable supply of nutrients in food systems and understanding the consequences of imbalances. She is specifically passionate about the linkage between agriculture,… read more

Recent Publications

• MULEYA, MOLLY, BAILEY, ESTHER F and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2024. A comparison of the bioaccessible calcium supplies of various plant-based products relative to bovine milk: Food Research International Food Research International. 175, 113795
• GODRICH, JOSEPH, ROSE, PETER, MULEYA, MOLLY and GOULD, JOANNE, 2023. The effect of popping, soaking, boiling and roasting processes on antinutritional factors in chickpeas and red kidney beans: International Journal of Food Science & Technology International journal of food science & technology. 58(1), 279-289
• MULEYA, MOLLY, LI, DONGFANG, CHIUTSI-PHIRI, GABRIELLA, BOTOMAN, LESTER, BRAMELD, JOHN M and SALTER, ANDREW M, 2023. In vitro determination of the protein quality of maize varieties cultivated in Malawi using the INFOGEST digestion method: Heliyon Heliyon. 9(9),
• MULEYA, MOLLY, YOUNG, SCOTT D, BROADLEY, MARTIN R, JOY, EDWARD JM, CHOPERA, PROSPER and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2023. Bioaccessibility of iron in pearl millet flour contaminated with different soil types: Food chemistry Food chemistry. 402, 134277

• View all publications

Molly's interests are in the sustainable supply of nutrients in food systems and understanding the consequences of imbalances. She is specifically passionate about the linkage between agriculture, food science, nutrition and health in relation to protein and mineral supply. She is therefore interested in topics related to this which include: malnutrition in children, micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations, global protein requirements and ultra- processed food and health. These topics are examined in detail in the following modules in which she contributes to teaching:

BIOS2037: Global issues in Nutrition

BIOS3092: Healthy People, Healthy Planet

• MULEYA, MOLLY, BAILEY, ESTHER F and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2024. A comparison of the bioaccessible calcium supplies of various plant-based products relative to bovine milk: Food Research International Food Research International. 175, 113795
• GODRICH, JOSEPH, ROSE, PETER, MULEYA, MOLLY and GOULD, JOANNE, 2023. The effect of popping, soaking, boiling and roasting processes on antinutritional factors in chickpeas and red kidney beans: International Journal of Food Science & Technology International journal of food science & technology. 58(1), 279-289
• MULEYA, MOLLY, LI, DONGFANG, CHIUTSI-PHIRI, GABRIELLA, BOTOMAN, LESTER, BRAMELD, JOHN M and SALTER, ANDREW M, 2023. In vitro determination of the protein quality of maize varieties cultivated in Malawi using the INFOGEST digestion method: Heliyon Heliyon. 9(9),
• MULEYA, MOLLY, YOUNG, SCOTT D, BROADLEY, MARTIN R, JOY, EDWARD JM, CHOPERA, PROSPER and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2023. Bioaccessibility of iron in pearl millet flour contaminated with different soil types: Food chemistry Food chemistry. 402, 134277
• DINU, VLAD, BORAH, PALLAB KUMAR, MULEYA, MOLLY, SCOTT, DAVID J, LITHGO, RYAN, PATTEM, JACOB, HARDING, STEPHEN E, YAKUBOV, GLEB E and FISK, IAN D, 2022. Flavour compounds affect protein structure: The effect of methyl anthranilate on bovine serum albumin conformation: Food Chemistry Food chemistry. 388, 133013
• MULEYA, MOLLY, TANG, KEVIN, BROADLEY, MARTIN R, SALTER, ANDREW M and JOY, EDWARD JM, 2022. Limited Supply of Protein and Lysine Is Prevalent among the Poorest Households in Malawi and Exacerbated by Low Protein Quality: Nutrients Nutrients. 14(12), 2430
• MULEYA, MOLLY, YOUNG, SCOTT D., REINA, SAUL VAZQUEZ, LIGOWE, IVY S., BROADLEY, MARTIN R., JOY, EDWARD J. M., CHOPERA, PROSPER and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H., 2021. Selenium speciation and bioaccessibility in Se-fertilised crops of dietary importance in Malawi: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 98, 103841
• MULEYA, MOLLY, YOUNG, SCOTT D and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2021. A stable isotope approach to accurately determine iron and zinc bioaccessibility in cereals and legumes based on a modified INFOGEST static in vitro digestion method: Food Research International Food Research International. 139, 109948
• MULEYA, MOLLY, YOUNG, SCOTT D, REINA, SAUL VAZQUEZ, LIGOWE, IVY S, BROADLEY, MARTIN R, JOY, EDWARD JM, CHOPERA, PROSPER and BAILEY, ELIZABETH H, 2021. Selenium speciation and bioaccessibility in Se-fertilised crops of dietary importance in Malawi: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 103841
• GABAZA, MOLLY, JOOSSENS, MARIE, CNOCKAERT, MARGO, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, RAES, KATLEEN and VANDAMME, PETER, 2019. Lactococci dominate the bacterial communities of fermented maize, sorghum and millet slurries in Zimbabwe: International Journal of Food Microbiology International Journal of Food Microbiology. 289, 77-87
• SHUMOY, HABTU, GABAZA, MOLLY, VANDEVELDE, JULIE and RAES, KATLEEN, 2019. Impact of fermentation on in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds of tef injera: Lwt LWT. 99, 313-318
• GABAZA, MOLLY, SHUMOY, HABTU, LOUWAGIE, LINDSEY, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER, DU LAING, GIJS and RAES, KATLEEN, 2018. Traditional fermentation and cooking of finger millet: Implications on mineral binders and subsequent bioaccessibility: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 68, 87-94
• GABAZA, MOLLY, SHUMOY, HABTU, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER and RAES, KATLEEN, 2018. Baobab fruit pulp and mopane worm as potential functional ingredients to improve the iron and zinc content and bioaccessibility of fermented cereals: Innovative food science & emerging technologies Innovative food science & emerging technologies. 47, 390-398
• GABAZA, MOLLY, SHUMOY, HABTU, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER and RAES, KATLEEN, 2018. Iron and zinc bioaccessibility of fermented maize, sorghum and millets from five locations in Zimbabwe: Food Research International Food Research International. 103, 361-370
• GABAZA, MOLLY, SHUMOY, HABTU, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER and RAES, KATLEEN, 2018. Enzymatic degradation of mineral binders in cereals: Impact on iron and zinc bioaccessibility: Journal of Cereal Science Journal of Cereal Science. 82, 223-229
• GABAZA, MOLLY, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER and RAES, KATLEEN, 2017. Can fermentation be used as a sustainable strategy to reduce iron and zinc binders in traditional African fermented cereal porridges or gruels?: Food Reviews International Food Reviews International. 33(6), 561-586
• SHUMOY, HABTU, GABAZA, MOLLY, VANDEVELDE, JULIE and RAES, KATLEEN, 2017. Soluble and bound phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity of tef injera as affected by traditional fermentation: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 58, 52-59
• SHUMOY, HABTU, LAUWENS, SARA, GABAZA, MOLLY, VANDEVELDE, JULIE, VANHAECKE, FRANK and RAES, KATLEEN, 2017. Traditional fermentation of tef injera: Impact on in vitro iron and zinc dialysability: Food research international Food Research International. 102, 93-100
• GABAZA, MOLLY, SHUMOY, HABTU, MUCHUWETI, MAUD, VANDAMME, PETER and RAES, KATLEEN, 2016. Effect of fermentation and cooking on soluble and bound phenolic profiles of finger millet sour porridge: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 64(40), 7615-7621