Our Focus
The main focus of the Food Structure and Function Lab is to use techniques from biophysical chemistry and molecular biology to understand the biological functionality of plant-based foods in the treatment of chronic diseases and how processing techniques can be used to enhance these health benefits.
This lab will:
- Characterize physicochemical interactions between micro- and macro- nutrients throughout digestion and absorption
- Develop nutraceutical strategies for preventing and treating chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
- Evaluate processing techniques for effects on nutritional benefit and overall quality of plant-based foods
- Characterize structural changes in food proteins over the course of processing with respect to final quality outcomes
Our Team
Dr. Charlene Van Buiten, Principal Investigator
Students
- Grace Spencer, Masters Student, Food Science Specialization