My research is focusing on cascade processing in green biorefinery and food stability during processing and storage, emphasizing valorization of all compounds within a biomass, taking circularity in account. In particular, I focus on proteins and natural colorants from novel food sources. In order to produce high quality novel food proteins, biorefinery, including optimization of extraction technologies, is essential to remove antinutritional factors and control process-induced reactions. Understanding the full matrix is highly important. Therefore, I seek to understand redox chemistry and free radical reactions, which are investigated in model systems for clarification of the mechanisms behind oxidative processes in proteins, polyphenols and in protein-/lipid food systems. Inhibition of polyphenol oxidase, lipogenase and other redox enzymes during extraction of plant protein are also important in relation to the protein quality. Furthermore, proteolytic processes, investigation of protein functionality and the impact of secondary plant metabolites are key aspects. 

Another focus is natural colorants, including their stability both in model and in complex systems and their implication in health aspects. Again, my objective is to gain a full understanding of processes in the complex food matrices that impact stability and quality.

My research group perform proof-of-concept processing (TRL1-3) and helps with optimization of processes (TRL1-TRL7) and for that purpose we have state-of-the-art mass spectrometry for proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics and quantitative analysis of compounds in a given biomass or food matrix.