Prof. Koushik Seetharaman: The organization of polymers in starch granules

ABSTRACT

The talk will focus on the broader aspects of how to study and understand the molecular and architectural organization of polymers in the starch granule. The molecular architecture of starch has been the focus of research for over two centuries. However, studies toward understanding the granular architecture of starch have been limited to the crystalline lamellae, and the composition, structure and organization of polymers in the amorphous background still remain unclear. This talk summarizes some recent results based on novel experiments with iodine vapor-granular starch interactions that occur in the amorphous regions of the granule. In combination with atomic force microscopy, light microscopy, powder spectrophotometry and X-ray diffractometry, iodine binding was used to explore the amorphous structures and the architecture of the granule. Results based on heating starch granules in the presence of iodine and their implications are also presented.