Tue, 9 Feb 2010
A longstanding collaboration between scientists at the School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia and Institute of Food Research (IFR) has provided new insight into the structure of the plant polysaccharide pectin, a highly important material in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Their work, recently reported in Carbohydrate Research (2010, 345, 487-497) [1], has been chosen by Faculty of 1000 Biology as a ‘must-read’ paper.
Pectin, well known in the kitchen as a key ingredient in jams and jellies, plays a crucial role on the growth and development of plant cell walls and is a key component of many drug formulations. This work, carried out by Dr. Andy Round from the School of Pharmacy with colleagues at IFR, shows with molecular detail how the breakdown of the pectin structure changes its gelling properties. The work was described by the Faculty of 1000 review as “a tremendous step forward in understanding the architecture of the plant wall.”
[1] “A new view of pectin structure revealed by acid hydrolysis and atomic force microscopy” A.N. Round, N.M. Rigby, A.J. MacDougall & V.J. Morris, Carbohydrate Research 2010, 345, 487-497. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2009.12.019
[2] Faculty of 1000 Biology: evaluations for Round AN et al Carbohydr Res 2010
http://f1000biology.com/article/id/1836970/evaluation
Pictured below: Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) image of pectin molecules (left) and a new model of their assembly into complexes (right)
Pectin, well known in the kitchen as a key ingredient in jams and jellies, plays a crucial role on the growth and development of plant cell walls and is a key component of many drug formulations. This work, carried out by Dr. Andy Round from the School of Pharmacy with colleagues at IFR, shows with molecular detail how the breakdown of the pectin structure changes its gelling properties. The work was described by the Faculty of 1000 review as “a tremendous step forward in understanding the architecture of the plant wall.”
[1] “A new view of pectin structure revealed by acid hydrolysis and atomic force microscopy” A.N. Round, N.M. Rigby, A.J. MacDougall & V.J. Morris, Carbohydrate Research 2010, 345, 487-497. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2009.12.019
[2] Faculty of 1000 Biology: evaluations for Round AN et al Carbohydr Res 2010
http://f1000biology.com/article/id/1836970/evaluation
Pictured below: Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) image of pectin molecules (left) and a new model of their assembly into complexes (right)
