Genetic and environmental basis for endosperm hardness in malting barley. Barleys with a hard endosperm do not malt as well as other barleys, leading to under-modified malt. While malts may appear to be satisfactory by bulk chemical analysis, even relatively small amounts of under-modified malt causes problems in the brewing industry, such as slow filtration rates and increasing haze formation. We aim to examine two new procedures potentially useful in determining heterogeneity in barley hardn ....Genetic and environmental basis for endosperm hardness in malting barley. Barleys with a hard endosperm do not malt as well as other barleys, leading to under-modified malt. While malts may appear to be satisfactory by bulk chemical analysis, even relatively small amounts of under-modified malt causes problems in the brewing industry, such as slow filtration rates and increasing haze formation. We aim to examine two new procedures potentially useful in determining heterogeneity in barley hardness by examining single kernels, and investigating the role of barley variety and growing conditions on hardness.This project will aid in the production and selection of more uniform barleys for the malting and brewing industries.Read moreRead less
Role of mRNA polyadenylation control in gene expression. Several benefits would come from a more complete understanding of the function of the messenger RNA poly(A) tail. It is frequently targeted by mechanisms that control cellular protein synthesis. This is most evident in developmental biology, where tail length control regulates maternal mRNA expression. Our previous work suggests that it has much wider importance for cellular function than previously thought and thus its study will produce ....Role of mRNA polyadenylation control in gene expression. Several benefits would come from a more complete understanding of the function of the messenger RNA poly(A) tail. It is frequently targeted by mechanisms that control cellular protein synthesis. This is most evident in developmental biology, where tail length control regulates maternal mRNA expression. Our previous work suggests that it has much wider importance for cellular function than previously thought and thus its study will produce knowledge of broad relevance to modern life sciences and its applications in medicine and biotechnology. Finally, a better understanding of yeast cellular biology is of benefit to the food and biotechnology sector of industry.Read moreRead less
A new biophysical approach to understanding self-assembly of dairy proteins in real time in complex systems of industrial importance. The study seeks to understand the molecular basis of self-assembly (aggregation and gelation) of dairy proteins during thermal processing of dairy products. This will involve direct determination, in real time, of the extent, rate and degree of reversibility of the changes that take place. These include changes in the composition, structure and stability of the ca ....A new biophysical approach to understanding self-assembly of dairy proteins in real time in complex systems of industrial importance. The study seeks to understand the molecular basis of self-assembly (aggregation and gelation) of dairy proteins during thermal processing of dairy products. This will involve direct determination, in real time, of the extent, rate and degree of reversibility of the changes that take place. These include changes in the composition, structure and stability of the casein micelles, changes in properties such as pH and pCa and changes such as the denaturation of b-lactoglobulin and its binding to k -casein. The purpose of the study is to provide the scientific base for improving the consistency of manufactured dairy products and for developing new food ingredients with new functionalities thus opening up new opportunities for the dairy industry.Read moreRead less