We are investigating the composition and breakdown of proteins in meat, fish and cereal raw materials. The purpose is to understand the effect of various proteins on properties such as tenderness of beef and bread volume. Protein composition and breakdown of proteins in various raw materials is being investigated by proteome analysis - a method for studying hundreds of proteins in a raw material at the same time. Biochemical methods are also used to study enzyme activity and the content of particularly important proteins. We also use histological methods for studying the structures of muscle and connective tissue, which is relevant for both tenderness in meat and fillet splitting in fish. Spectroscopic techniques are used for rapid analysis of variations in protein composition.
Proteomic analysis is used to describe many proteins simultaneously, so as to create a protein profile for the sample in question.
Nofima Mat uses such analyses to study protein composition in biological systems, so as to discover, for example, which protein components are critical for different quality-related properties.
In our proteome laboratory we carry out extensive research into:
- the development of tenderness in beef
- quality of dry-cured ham produced with long curing time
- stressed salmon
- baking quality in wheat
- metabolisms in lactic acid bacteria
We have several projects which seek to characterise molecular markers for raw materials quality by combining proteome and transcriptome techniques. The aim is to find the interaction between genotype and phenotype in relation to raw materials quality.
