Imaging
Understanding food structure is the key to the delivery of high quality, safe and nutritious foods. The leading-edge microscopic methods available at IFR allow us to visualise heterogeneous food structures and to image and interpret such structure at the molecular level. We have pioneered the use of probe microscopy in food science. These techniques have already led to new solutions to previously intractable problems and have contributed to the commercial delivery of higher quality, lower cost food products.
IFR has 30 years expertise in the light and electron microscopy of food and plant materials and well established collaborations in the use of these methods within IFR and the Norwich Research Park. Our intention is to maintain, expand, develop and exploit this expertise base in microscopy across the scientific programme at IFR.
Aims
- To maintain, develop and exploit state-of-the-art imaging methods for food and plant material.
- To identify and exploit new structural factors contributing to improved nutritional characteristics of starch-based foods.
- To exploit expertise in the imaging of interfacial structures for the rational design of food foams and emulsions and to test models of the digestion of fat-based foods.
- To develop novel applications of force microscopy in food science.
- To provide resource in imaging techniques and to train staff in the routine application of imaging methods.
Overview
IFR has developed most of the methodology used in the imaging of food systems by probe microscopy and, in particular, atomic force microscopy (AFM).
AFM is still an emerging tool and the need for expertise in sample preparation and image interpretation is of utmost importance for the successful exploitation of the use of these methods. The use of AFM at IFR has been focussed in the past on a few well-chosen problems, chiefly based in the materials science area. Now that the methodology has been validated, and the methods of contrast determined, there are potentially much wider applications of these imaging methods, and the newer techniques of force measurement, across the multidisciplinary research portfolio at IFR. We intend to seek out such research opportunities and to develop the methodology to tackle them if necessary. New methodology will be developed in response to the needs of the IFR science programme and as part of feasibility studies aimed at underpinning external grant applications.
The considerable expertise base in light and electron microscopy will also be used to carry out original research on food structure. Although light and electron microscopy are well established methods, their successful use to tackle problems in complex systems, such as food materials, requires considerable expertise and innovation in sample preparation, in the avoidance of artefacts and in the interpretation of the final images. Once methods are validated and are capable of being applied routinely then training will be provided to allow application of such methods by other scientists. Training and resource will be provided for the use of established methods for characterising food materials.
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