Location: Grain Quality and Structure Research
Project Number: 3020-30600-002-025-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2026
End Date: Apr 30, 2029
Objective:
The objectives of this project are to improve the accuracy of molecular sizes characterization for sorghum starch (amylopectin and amylose) and to explore methods to modify molecular size of sorghum starch and its effects on their application functionality.
Approach:
Collaborate with KSU to establish reliable constants (such as the refractive index increment, dn/dc and optical constant, K etc. for sorghum and wheat starch and amylose) for the cereal starch community to characterize starch molecules with confidence. The ARS laboratory will obtain sorghum and hard winter wheat samples of representative varieties for the research; conduct basic analysis for physical, chemical, rheological properties on the samples; establish procedures to measure the key parameters of partitioned starch components; evaluate the application functionality of starches and flours with different molecular sizes.
The KSU collaborator will conduct the starch isolation and partition of starch components from selected sorghum and wheat varieties; develop methods to modify molecular sizes of starch and flours; characterize features of modified wheat and sorghum starch.