Establishing the relations between starch nano- and mesostructure and macroscopic physical properties (2009-2011)
Abstract
Starch is a deceptively simple polymer of glucose, that contains at least six levels of structural organisation, none of which are yet described fully. Improved starches for public health and industry require structure-property relations at a far more advanced level than currently available. New experimental techniques and theoretical frameworks will be applied which permit quantitative structural characterisation at nano- and meso-scales qualitatively better than hitherto possible. These will be used to develop relations between structural levels and physical properties, with emphasis on high amylose starches and factors controlling enzyme digestibility.
