Dr Clare Flakelar

Clare Flakelar has held academic positions at Charles Sturt University, the University of Queensland and Australian Catholic University. In 2019, she also held a Biochemistry Technician position with Queensland University of Technology, involving working with and maintaining a LC-QTRAP-MS and various WHS responsibilities, in addition to her wider technical role. While at QUT, she began some research work with the Central Analytical Research Facility (CARF) and continues to collaborate on research with the CARF mass spectrometry group, led by Prof. Stephen Blanksby.

Her PhD and related research has largely been in lipid chemistry. As an analytical chemist, most of her work has involved analysis of lipids and method development for quantification of bioactive compounds in canola oil. The work involved the development of a novel mass spectrometric technique for simultaneous quantification of tocopherols, phytosterols and carotenoids in oil, generating commercial interest and involved travel to attend and present at various lipidomics conferences, MS symposiums and several Australian Oil Federation (AOF) meetings. She has since conducted some consulting for commercial oil processing entities within Australia.

Other work includes collaboration with researchers at CSU investigating the feasibility of pyrolysis to reduce volumes of clinical waste produced in hospitals and Honours co-supervision for a project on iron homeostatsis conducted at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer. 

Journal Articles

Flakelar, C. L., Adjonu, R., Doran, G., Howitt, J. A., Luckett, D. J., & Prenzler, P. D. (2022). Phytosterol, Tocopherol and Carotenoid Retention during Commercial Processing of Brassica napus (Canola) Oil. Processes, 10(3), 580.

Flakelar, C. L., Doran, G. S., Howitt, J. A., Luckett, D. J., & Prenzler, P. D. (2018) Effects of storage temperature and duration on bioactive concentrations in the seed and oil of Brassica napus (canola). European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology.

Flakelar, C. L., Howitt, J. A., Prenzler, P. D., Doran, G., Coombes, N., & Luckett, D. J. (2017). A multiphase experiment for the analysis of bioactive compounds in canola oil: Sources of error from field and laboratory. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems, 162, 55-64.

Flakelar, C. L., Prenzler, P. D., Luckett, D. J., Howitt, J. A., & Doran, G. (2017). A rapid method for the simultaneous quantification of the major tocopherols, carotenoids, free and esterified sterols in canola (Brassica napus) oil using normal phase liquid chromatography. Food chemistry, 214, 147-155.

Flakelar, C. L., Luckett, D. J., Howitt, J. A., Doran, G., & Prenzler, P. D. (2015). Canola (Brassica napus) oil from Australian cultivars shows promising levels of tocopherols and carotenoids, along with good oxidative stability. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 42(0), 179-186.

Conference Papers

Flakelar, C., Prenzler, P. D., Howitt, J., Doran, G., & Luckett, D. The assessment of Australian canola oil for relationships between oxidative stability, trace elements and fatty acid profiles of selected cultivars. In AAOCS Annual Meeting 2013, vol. 5. Newcastle.

Flakelar, C. L., Luckett, D. J., Howitt, J. A., Doran, G., & Prenzler, P. D. (2015). Australian canola oil quality &ndash the influence of varietal traits and other parameters on valuable minor components. In GRDC Update Southern NSW. Wagga Wagga: GRDC.

Magazine Articles

Allana Bryan, Greg Doran, Clare Flakelar, Julia Howitt, Michael Oelgemöller, & Shields, L. (2019). Clinical Waste - a major environmental burden. Australian Hospital and Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/design-in-health/article/clinical-waste-a-major-environmental-burden-53426063#axzz5zpeShsKL

Flakelar, C. L., & Prenzler, P. D. (2016). A rapid analytical method for bioactives in edible oils. In INFORM magazine, vol. 28 (pp. 22-25): AOCS.

More information: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Clare_Flakelar

2014

Bioactive components and quality parameters in Australian Canola.

2014-2017

Canola quality: the influence of seed variety, commercial processing, and storage on valuable minor components.

2018

Assessing the chemical composition of hospital clinical waste and the potential for microwave pyrolysis to assist in reduction of waste volume in Australia.

2020-2022

Identification of Carbon-Carbon Double Bond Stereochemistry in Unsaturated Fatty Acids by Charge-Remote Fragmentation of Fixed-Charge Derivatives.

Australasian Section of the American Oil Chemist's Society (AAOCS) Communications Manager and Committee Member (2017-current)

American Oil Chemist's Society member (2014-current)

Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) member (2012-current)