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Neutrons take a glimpse inside the molecular structure of plant-based foods

Bacteria can be surprisingly resistant - neutron-based techniques show why.

Paul's PhD project aims to develop a unique structural model that will ultimately help to improve the stability, medical efficiency, and range of applications of lipid nanoparticle-based drug formulations.

High-quality neutron and X-ray data acquired using red blood cells allowed researchers to establish a universal theoretical description of cell membranes.

The ILL recently welcomed the first 'novice users' as part of the exchange programme. These are the video portraits of three scientists, in various stage of their careers, discovering the ILL for the first time.

A team of researchers at the ILL investigated how salt alters the shape of lipid vesicles.

The European Photon and Neutron (EPN) campus in Grenoble is also a unique place for structural biology research. A review paper on the current and future perspectives for structural biology at the EPN campus has just appeared on the Journal of Synchrotron Radiation.

Foams are highly complex systems, and an essential component of many different drinks and foods. Collaboration between the ILL and Aarhus University has connected unique capabilities to investigate foam with critically relevant food science challenges, bringing a greener food future a step closer.

The lipid membranes surrounding human cells are known to be asymmetric in terms of their molecular composition. The localisation of cholesterol within these membranes has, however, been difficult to pinpoint until recently. Using neutron scattering and selective deuteration, researchers were able to tackle this challenge and to provide deep insights into the complexity of biological membranes. This knowledge can help design articificial membranes for drug delivery and facilitate the handling of demanding proteins.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has established a set of conditions under which sustainable fatty acid complexes can efficiently fight against dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The results are encouraging and inspire further research on the development of fatty acid-based antibiotics. They further demonstrate the value of neutron scattering in this kind of pharmaceutical research.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antibiotics which are very effective against resistant bacteria. Despite their interesting properties, AMPs remain difficult to use. A study just published marks a remarkable step forward in understanding how AMPs work. Taking full advantage of neutron and X-ray scattering, researchers obtained results that are both important and surprising.

A recently published study uses neutron scattering to shed light on texturisation - the black box for plant-based meat analogues - through in-situ real-time observations of the process. The challenge is increasingly relevant for the food industry as consumer concerns about sustainability, health and animal welfare rise.