Assistant Professor George Annor
What are you Driven to Discover?
I am driven to discover how the fine structure of starches impacts their uses in industry
What is the impact of your research in your field?
My research will result in the understanding of how starch fine structure translates into various industrial applications resulting in the production of tailor-made starches for specific applications.
How can people see the impact of your research on everyday life?
Starch is a main ingredient in many foods on the market today. Consumer demands for new products with unique characteristics has spurred the development of new ingredients. Consumers also demand products made from native starches with the same characteristics as chemically modified starches. My research may result in the development of native starches with the same unique properties as the modified starches.
What drew you to your field of study?
Food and its properties intrigues me. The ability of food scientists to manipulate the properties of food or food ingredients for different applications fascinates me.
What is your favorite research/lab tool and why?
The High-Performance Ion Exchange Chromatographic system. This system allows me to investigate the internal structure of starches and how they differ from different botanical sources.
What is your greatest research accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is characterizing the internal structure of millet starches and understanding why millet flour has lower glycemic index than flour from most crops.
What do you hope to accomplish next?
I hope to develop processes to modify starches for food applications with non-thermal methods, such as atmospheric cold plasms.
Who are the members of your lab?
Citra Rahardjo - Researcher 2
Ibilola Kougblenou - Researcher 1
Juan Mogoginta - Masters Student
Yingxin Zhong - Masters Student
Akua Okyere - Masters Student
Xiaoxi Li - Masters Student
Ziye Chen - Visiting Masters Student
Sophie Held - Undergraduate Student
Samantha Swerdlow - Undergraduate Student
Monika Weimer - Undergraduate Student
Amanda Riandono - Undergraduate Student
Do you have any unique collaborations or projects?
We collaborate with the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics on wheat and corn research. We also collaborate with ADM on starch fine structural analysis. Additional we research intermediate wheat grass as part of the Forever Green Initiative.