Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching o ....Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching of biologically incompatible chemicals. By using starch from crops suited for Australia's arid climate, the new technology will reduce both our dependence on imported products and our greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Factors controlling higher-level starch structure. In a new paradigm for cereal chemistry, we will link structural and functional genomics to a mechanistic understanding of starch polymer structure. By using our novel characterization techniques, we will obtain the first data on the complex multiscale structure of starch in cereal grains that will be sensitive to the mechanisms of starch biosynthesis. These results will enable us to identify the genetic and environmental factors that, separately ....Factors controlling higher-level starch structure. In a new paradigm for cereal chemistry, we will link structural and functional genomics to a mechanistic understanding of starch polymer structure. By using our novel characterization techniques, we will obtain the first data on the complex multiscale structure of starch in cereal grains that will be sensitive to the mechanisms of starch biosynthesis. These results will enable us to identify the genetic and environmental factors that, separately and together, control starch structure in a range of cereals. This knowledge will provide a powerful tool for plant breeders and biotechnologists to produce cereals with improved properties.Read moreRead less