UROP Project
Food is the best medicine: developing artificial starch with controlled digestion profile
Starch; structure; crystallization; digestion
Research Mentor: Yimin Mao, Prof.
Department, College, Affiliation: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: yimin.mao@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Zi Teng Dr.
Faculty Collaborators Email: zi.teng@usda.gov
Department, College, Affiliation: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: yimin.mao@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Zi Teng Dr.
Faculty Collaborators Email: zi.teng@usda.gov
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Chemical Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemistry; Mechanical Engineering; Food Science
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Campus shuttle Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Chemical Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemistry; Mechanical Engineering; Food Science
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Campus shuttle Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Starch is one of the cornerstones of the source of food energy for human beings. Not all starches are created equal: some can be quickly digested and provide fuel for cells, others may be passed from small intestine to larger intestine where they are decomposed by bacteria, releasing beneficial small molecules such as short fatty acids, hence termed resistant starch (RS). There is growing interest in understanding the relationships between digestion of starch and its effect on human health, particularly diet-related disorders such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Such knowledge will help researchers develop artificial starches that can be digested by human beings, following optimal digestion profiles tuned for individuals.This project consists of two tasks: 1) characterizing microstructures of starches of different botanic origin, and 2) creating artificial starches by re-crystallizing starch molecules with varied morphology and compare their digestive properties. Collaborating with Dr. Zi Teng at USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, we will prepare starch samples from waxy rice, navy beans, pinto beans, lentil, and sorghum. Artificial starch will be created by using purified amylopectin and amylose, two types of starch molecules, via hydrothermal treatment followed by re-crystallization. Digestive properties of native and artificial starches will be compared, and the structure-property relationship established.
This project is interdisciplinary by nature. Selected students will have opportunities to interact with chemical engineers, materials scientists, as well as food scientists.
Research Tasks: A) Lab work: sample preparation
B) Material Characterization
C) Data analysis and presentation
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Motivation is THE most critical skill. General lab operation skills are recommended but not required. Students will be trained with the needed skills during the project.
Mentoring Philosophy
A) Task Modularization. Mentor and the student will discuss to understand the nature of the problem and divide a "big" problem into small pieces each manageable and with foreseeable boundary, allowing the student to see progress throughout the project. Students will feel achieved during the course and will have a presentable package when wrapping up the project.B) Working smart. The students will NOT be asked to conduct matrix experiments with multiple control parameters varying; rather, mentor will discuss with the student, identifying the key question that needs to be addressed, and performing critical experiments to attack.
C) Learning by doing. The students will be encouraged to perform educated trial experiments to help understand the nature of the problem or test their hypothesis. Discussion with mentor is always encouraged, to avoid students “overthink”.