Food Technology and Biotechnology

This interdisciplinary research focus is an area in which more than 10 scientific staff members and professors of the courses of studies in bio- and environmental technology, process engineering production as well as plant construction work. An excellent infrastructure with analytics equipment, pilot plants, simulation tools and even an own experimental and training brewery is available in approx.15 laboratories
 
In the field of bioenergy, one of the largest working groups in Austria is researching the production processes of "advanced biofuels" (bioethanol from straw), optimizing biogas processes and developing integrated biorefinery concepts.  In the basic research area, biodiesel production is being investigated in the "Next Generation Biodiesel" project with the help of yeasts from residues such as maize spindles and glycerin. We are currently working on 5 national and international projects (Regio13 / EU), as well as on various industrial projects. An outstanding team of analysts as well as the team Downstream processing (membrane technology, etc.) complete the working groups.

In the field of food technology, the primary goal is research on plant ingredients and their mode of action is at the molecular level. The objective is to gain an understanding of how these ingredients interfere with and control the human metabolism. From this it is possible to develop so-called functional foods. The following key areas are being dealt with:

>> Ingredients of apples and their impact on carbohydrate metabolism as well as on carcinogenicity
>> Ingredients from cabbage and apples and their effect on cytochrome activity and the liver metabolism
>> Ingredients from apples, blueberries, cherries etc. and their effects on adrenergic receptors
>> Further development of technologies in the field of protein-protein interaction