Correct and adequate information on enzyme activity helps producers avoid prolonged production times, reduce waste, improve end-products, extend shelf-life, and save costs for overtreatment.
November 21, 2017
We interviewed Julia Schückel from GlycoSpot to find out how enzyme screening will help industries to make healthier products.
Can you tell us how you developed your enzyme screening technology over the past few years?
“The development of the chromogenic substrate and the assay technology started as a research project at the University of Copenhagen in 2012. We aimed for developing a high-throughput assay for initial enzyme screenings. In December 2014 we formed GlycoSpot and took the technology to a real start-up environment. We have been supported by the Danish innovation foundation as well as the Danish investment company Capnova.”
Which challenges does this technology help quality and operations managers to overcome?
“Industries, such as food, feed, and others, are increasingly looking into enzymes to solve production and product issues. Correct and adequate information on enzyme activity helps producers avoid prolonged production times, reduce waste, improve end-products, extend shelf-life, and save costs for overtreatment. In short: our technology helps to save money and increase profits.”
What is innovative about the technology you have developed compared to existing tools?
“We take away the hassle of making substrates yourself. Our assays always meet the same high-quality standards, and the do-it-yourself factor of reproducibility is thereby eliminated. With different substrate colors, we can mix several substrates in the same reaction allowing measurements of different enzyme activities at the same time. We currently work with four different colors - yellow, red, blue and green - with specific absorbance maxima. If you need high-throughput and reliable results, our product is for you.”
What other technologies related to food processing are you working on?
“We can make substrates out of almost anything! Demands in different industries show a need for quantitative enzymatic analysis on numerous parameters and therefore GlycoSpot is launching specific screening kits. One example is BrewersDream™ for retrieving fast and reliable results on enzymatic changes in raw material or during production.”
From a food processing perspective, what are your predictions for the next 3-5 years?
“Enzyme activity screening technology will become available to all industries as well as to specific consumer segments. The format will change to one which is not requiring additional equipment to perform an enzyme activity screening. What”s more, the results will be quantified using everyday devices in a few seconds.
GlycoSpot technology will help industries to make healthier products, extend product shelf-life and reduce food waste. Farmers will be able to qualify their crops and choose the best seeds. In addition, manufacturers will be able to select and mix raw materials lowering the cost of supplements and consumers can expect healthier products.”
