Working Group II. Biopolymers
Head: Prof. Dr. Peter Koehler
Research:
This group is working on the characterisation and quantification of plant biopolymers, in
particular those of cereals. The work is focussed on the structural (amino acid sequences,
disulphide bonds, other post-translational modifications) and functional (dough properties
baking performance, texture) characterisation of the storage proteins of different cereal
species. Based on the fact that both the type and the amount of macromolecules may
influence the properties of food, an extraction/HPLC method for the quantification of cereal
storage proteins has been developed, which is widely used in this group. The
techno-functional properties are determied by means of micro-scale methods based on
10 g of flour, which have been developed in our lab and which are highly correlated with the
results of standard-scale methods based on 1000 g of flour. Thus, analytical-chemical data
can be correlated with technologiocal properties giving insight into mechanisms of action.
Another topic is coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease that is triggered by the ingestion of storage proteins of wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats (termed gluten in this context). These storage proteins are incompletely digested in the small intestine and cause damage to the mucosa of patients suffering from coeliac disease. The only therapy is a strict life-long omission of gluten. The working group is involved in the elucidation of coeliac toxic amino acid sequences from cereal stoage proteins, and also in the development of methods to produce gluten-free food, which is tolerated by patients suffering from coeliac disease. können.
Beside the macromolecules itself, also the effect of low-molecular-mass constituents or additives are being studied with respect to their impact on the properties of the biopolymers and the texture of the food. Typical projects involve studies on structure-function relationships of enzymes and emulsifiers in baked goods as well as studies on the influence of cereal species, cultivar, environmental conditions and technological processes on the composition and the techno-functional properties of biopolymers from cereals.
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