Providing both technology and expertise to help advance the science of plant-based proteins and tackle problems of climate change and food security
Waters Corporation has announced that it is providing both technology and expertise to help advance plant-based protein science in collaboration with researchers of the Plant Protein Innovation Centre (PPIC) at the University of Minnesota. Waters scientists will work with PPIC researchers to develop a workflow for measuring the amino acid content of plant-based proteins using a Waters ACQUITY™ Premier UPLC System. Waters is the first analytical instrument company to become a member of the PPIC, an industry-leading interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to studying plant and alternative proteins.
Proteins are made up of 20 chemical ‘building blocks’ called amino acids. The amino acids we make ourselves or that we take in with food, link together in different combinations to make new proteins that help build and repair muscles, tendons, and organs. While humans produce 11 of these amino acids, the remaining nine amino acids are essential for human health and are derived only from plant or animal sources.
Amino acid analysis provides a basic measure of the functional and nutritional value of both animal- and plant-based proteins slated for consumer food products. Any research into plant-based proteins requires a way to measure their amino acid content, for which liquid chromatography is particularly well-suited.
“As we translate research to reality through developing and introducing novel and sustainable plant protein ingredients and products with acceptable functionality and nutrition, we rely heavily on robust and accurate analytical tools,” said Dr B. Pam Ismail, Founder and Director of the PPIC.