Dr Aylin Sen: Breaking the wall of Dairy Using Plants
Participant in 2026 Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa New Zealand.
Dr Aylin Şen
Massey University, Riddet Institute
Conventional dairy production is under pressure to meet the growing global demand sustainably, while many plant-based alternatives still fail to deliver the taste, texture, and functionality of dairy products. We engineer plants to produce animal-free proteins and fats that perform like dairy to create the next generation of sustainable, nutritious, and delicious foods that consumers will love.
Aylin Şen is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Riddet Institute, who works in collaboration with Miruku on alternative dairy systems. She earned an MSc in the Netherlands and a PhD in Food Technology from Massey University. Her research focuses on plant oil bodies and proteins. She is particularly interested in improving extraction processes and enhancing protein functionality to create high-quality new plant-based dairy alternatives such as creams, coffee whiteners, and cheeses.