Food Biomolecule Research at HWU

Foods are a heterogeneous mixture of biomolecules that interact together in complex ways to form the structural, textural and organoleptic properties of the foods we eat. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the links between diet and health, and there is a drive towards food manufacturers providing foods that are lower in saturated fats, sugar and salt. Removal of these molecules from manufactured foods is not always a simple task, as this may change both the texture and taste of a food. To underpin these efforts a more fundamental understanding of the interactions between food biomolecules is required to facilitate their replacement with alternative structuring molecules.
We are interested in the functional properties of biomolecules in foods. When we talk about functionality we do not mean biological function, but we refer to the ability of biomolecules to contribute to food structure through their physicochemical functionality (surface-active properties (foaming and emulsification), rheological and texture forming properties). We use a dual experimental and theoretical approach to relate biomolecule structure to function and ultimately to link these to changes in food structure and texture. We work extensively in two areas. One is the development of replacement technologies e.g. fat replacement, and the second is the identification of novel food biomolecules for exploitation by the food industry. A third separate area of research within the group that I will briefly touch in is the use of molecular simulation to probe biomolecule functionality.
Rather than give a detailed presentation on a single research project, I will illustrate the work of the group by reference to a select number of ongoing projects related to novel fungal protein recovery from waste, novel bacterial biosurfactants, and oleogelation for fat replacement.