Fall 1999
Processing of agricultural and biological materials yields many important products, from foods to pharmaceuticals. Minnesota is a major producer of agricultural products, so post-harvest handling has long been an important area for extension and research programs. Recently our programs related to bioprocessing and food processing have grown significantly.
Recent research has emphasized grain quality measurement and prediction of storability under various conditions. New research focuses on storage of grains developed for special characteristics such as high-oil content corn. There continues to be a major extension/outreach program directed toward on-farm drying and storage as well as commercial storage.
Large amounts of grain carried over in storage plus high yields in the just completed growing season created significant demand for extension/outreach programs on temporary grain storage. Public concerns, especially in Europe, about genetically modified crops (GMOs) resulted in suggestions to segregate GMO and non-GMO grains. The publicity came just as this fall's harvest was starting. Dr. Bill Wilcke developed a web site (www.bae.umn.edu/extens/postharvest/tempstor.html) with information about a range of issues related to GMO crops including ideas for segregating and preserving the identity of various types of grain.
Professor Bill Wilcke and Post-Doc Associate Klein Ileleji are embarking on a new project to test the storability of value-enhanced and genetically-modified grains.
Immunoglobulins are proteins that are important entities of the immune system. There is much interest in obtaining them for use in treatment of human diseases. But separation and purification of these proteins from fluids such as milk, colostrum, blood serum, etc., is difficult and expensive.
Dr. Anu Subramanian is conducting research focused on optimizing this bioseparation. Microscopic beads of cellulose, ceramic, or chitosan (a natural polymer obtained from the exoskeletons of shellfish) are packed into a column, and a loading buffer mixed with the fluid of interest is poured through the beads. The beads have an affinity for one or more of the immunoglobulins in the sample and are able to capture them while other components, such as minerals, vitamins, other proteins, sugars, and waste products, flow on through the column. An elution buffer then displaces the captured immunoglobulins in the beads and the proteins of interest are captured. One focus of the research is colostrum, a mammary secretion that is produced during the first 24-48 hours after birth. It is more complex than milk, and contains special proteins that are extremely effective at protecting the immune system. In another project, graduate student Jennifer Hommerding is focusing on the purification of proteins from blood serum.
Dr. Subramanian also cooperates with faculty in veterinary medicine on bioproduction of vaccines for prevention of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). PRRS is the top swine health research priority of the National Pork Producers Council.
Dr. Blanca Martinez and Dr. Anu Subramanian are working on applications in bioseparation.
Agricultural products such as grain and soybeans are important sources of materials to produce biodegradable plastics. These products can improve the environment and provide new markets for agricultural products. A research program led by Dr. Mrinal Bhattacharya has developed processes and formulations for several materials and products. The research has already generated several patents for the University of Minnesota.
Recently a Austrian company has begun test marketing of biodegradable phone cards made from from wheat gluten under a patent licensed from this research. The cards are now being test-marketed in Europe. Ski-lift tickets and chip cards are in the works. (Chip cards, currently more widely used in Europe than the United States, are "smart" cards that can be used for things from bank credit to parking validation.) The products will biodegrade when they come into contact with some sort of biological process, but won't self-destruct in your pocket.
Biodegradable phone card
Military organizations, police, and war game aficionados will be the end users of another phase of research&emdash;biodegradable starch-based paint balls. In this case, the biodegradable plastic provides better product stability than the current gelatin-based paint balls, which are also biodegradable but tend to melt in the hot trunks of avid game players. The plastic balls should be usable in a range of temperatures from -60F to over 180F.
Dr. Roger Ruan and co-workers have developed a patented process for making highly refined cellulose (HRC) from fibrous agricultural materials. The product has high water holding capacity, high viscosity, large surface area, zero calories, and a smooth texture that makes it useful for dietary supplements and medical purposes such as treatment of diabetes. Other applications include dietary fibers, emulsion stabilizers, thickeners, moisture control, foam stabilizers, ice crystal control, suspending agents, edible films, and coatings.
Graduate student Brock Lundberg is researching processes and applications for highly refined cellulose (HRC). In a clinical study, HRC is blended into soft drinks to treat high cholesterol.
Another area of research lead by Dr. Ruan explores the use of ozone for sanitation, sterilization, and odor control. Ozone is an alternative to chlorine for sanitation of processing facilities. Ozone is more effective and more environmentally friendly than chlorine. Ozone is also being used in apple juice pasteurization. In another application, ozone and non-thermal plasma technologies are used for control of odors in processing plants and also in animal waste facilities.
Computer vision is used to classify and inspect products. Grain inspection applications include measurement of corn quality (Bill Wilcke and Vance Morey) and identification of damaged (scabby) wheat kernels (Roger Ruan). Dr. Ruan's group is also applying computer vision to embryo recognition and classification in cell and tissue culture.
PersonnelMrinal Bhattacharya, Professor |
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This page is part of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department web at http://www.bae.umn.edu/