Understanding those kinds of differences is a vital part of research in the fields of food chemistry and ingredient technology, especially as researchers make advancements toward natural and clean-label food ingredients. In Cornell University’s Department of Food Science, part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Abbaspourrad Lab is working on just that.
Alireza Abbaspourrad, the Yongkeun Joh Assistant Professor of Food Chemistry and Ingredient Technology, and his research associate, Younas Dadmohammadi, are trying to understand the physical and biochemical characteristics of food ingredients. Their work takes place on a molecular scale, where they can help develop new ingredients and take a closer look at how our bodies respond to different food ingredients.
This research recently received a boost, thanks to a partnership between Nanoscience Instruments and Biolin Scientific. Nanoscience Instruments provides cutting edge scientific instrumentation, supports research partners with one-on-one guidance on how to best use their instruments and offers contract analytical research services. Biolin Scientific is another company that makes state-of-the-art equipment and helps scientists find smart solutions to ongoing areas of inquiry.
The three teams are combining new tools and new technology with their collective expertise to advance their understanding of food ingredients and turn that knowledge into practical applications.
“It’s a great collaboration because not only are we using the equipment in food science, but also we’re incorporating their knowledge to shed light on undiscovered areas,” Abbaspourrad said. “The scientific team provides input that helps us with the interpretation of the data and service maintenance of equipment.”