From fat scanning to photoinitiation
SCI peer-reviewed journals are accessible online and Members
visiting London can browse through them at IHQ
 Scanning
for fat
Researchers working at the Agricultural Research Service in
the US have found a quick and effective way to measure the
fat content in cereal-based foods. Current methods of measuring
fat content involve the use of potentially hazardous organic
solvents.
They employed near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy – already
used to measure moisture and protein content in grain –
to estimate fat content in breakfast cereals and cereal snacks.
Their results proved that it was sufficiently accurate to
screen samples commercially. They hope that their more environmentally
benign method will provide a quicker, cheaper and cleaner
way to assess fat content.
Prediction of fat in intact cereal food products using
near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, Sandra E Kays, Douglas
D Archibald, Miryeong Sohn, Journal of the Science of Food
and Agriculture, DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.2157 (Available on EarlyView)
Mathematical model of photoinitiation
Photopolymerisation,the process of inducing polymerisation
via light, is now commonly used in many industrial and commercial
processes to produce thin films. They range from dental applications
to fiber optic coatings to photolithography, but the polymers
created are very thin.
Scientists at the University of Iowa, US, have examined the
formation of thick system polymers of ~1cm using a mathematical
model. Thick systems are becoming more commercially important
and are used in printing and to line drainage pipes. Like
thin systems, thick systems benefit from being solvent-free
and their model shows that thick systems can have a good rate
of initiation with appropriately controlled lighting conditions.
Spatial and temporal evolution of the photo initiation
rate for thick polymer systems illuminated on both sides,
Nicole Stephenson, Dane Kriks, Mohamed El-Maazawi, Alec Scranton,
Polymer International, DOI: 10.1002/pi.1866 (Available on
EarlyView)
Pervaporation in fermentation
Pervaporation is an emerging membrane-based technology that
could provide an alternative to distillation as a means of
extracting volatile products from fermentation broths. A combination
of membrane permeation and evaporation, potential advantages
of pervaporation over distillation may include increased efficiency
and reduction of capital cost for pervaporation systems.
Leland Vane of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory,
Ohio has prepared an extensive review of this emerging topic,and
believes pervaporation to be viable for biofuel recovery in
a number of situations. However, wider application will only
be possible when further research has been carried out on
pervaporation systems.
A review of pervaporation for product recovery from biomass
fermentation processes, Leland M Vane, Journal of Chemical
Technology & Biotechnology, DOI:10.2002/jctb.1265 (Available
on EarlyView)
Glyphosate-resistant crops
Glyphosate is the world’s most used herbicide, and its
use is anticipated to increase even further as usage of genetically-engineered
glyphosate-resistant crops increases. US Midwest farmers have
reported inconsistent control of Amaranthus tuberculatis
(roughfruit amaranth) – a plant native to the US –
in glyphosate-resistant crops. Researchers from Iowa State
University’s department of agronomy investigated the
potential of selection for decreased A tuberculatus
sensitivity to glysphosphate. The results suggested that A
tuberculatus is inherently variable to glyphosphate and
that selection decreased the sensitivity to glyphosphate.
The authors speculate that evolved glyphosate resistance in
A tuberculatus may require multiple cycles of selection
under field conditions.
The research was funded by Monsanto and Syngenta.
Differential response of Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq
ex DC) JD Sauer to glyphosate, Ian A Zelaya and Michael DK
Owen, Pest Management Science, DOI:10:2002/ ps.1074 (Available
on EarlyView)
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