University of Adelaide in collaboration with Agilent Technologies Australia has established a new laboratory at its Waite campus to undertake research on the potential benefits of complex carbohydrates.
Named as Adelaide Glycomics, this laboratory is the first of its kind facility in the Southern Hemisphere to delve into the analysis of glycans (commonly known as complex carbohydrates).
According to the university, the potential benefits of the research could lead to potatoes with less “bad” starch, food with natural additives to improve the immune system and baby’s milk formula that is very close to the qualities of breast milk.
Adelaide Glycomics director and ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls director Professor Vincent Bulone stated that complex carbohydrates are very important in all areas of biology and that the molecules are the most complex in nature and extremely difficult to understand.
Bulone said: “But beyond their important role in living organisms they can be exploited in many products. There is hardly a moment in our daily life where we are not exposed to glycans.
One of the key works at the research lab would be analysis of starch in potatoes with the objective of producing low-GI potatoes. Through the analysis, the researchers would understand the structure and relative proportions of various starch types, and the parameters that control them.
University of Adelaide vice-chancellor and president Professor Warren Bebbington said: “This research offers great potential for new products and applications across a wide range of industries important for South Australia.”
The research would also look to get breakthroughs in methods to control the composition and quality of wine, development of organic-based materials for drug delivery systems and cosmetics, come up with different strategies for eco-friendly waste management along with understanding more about diseases and devising diagnostic tools.