Innovative time-resolved method reveals network formation by and dynamics of proteins.
A team of scientists has been using DESY’s X-ray source PETRA III to analyse the structural changes that take place in an egg when you cook it. The work reveals how the proteins in the white of a chicken egg unfold and cross-link with each other to form a solid structure when heated. Their innovative method can be of interest to the food industry as well as to the broad field of research surrounding protein analysis. The cooperation of two groups, headed by Frank Schreiber from the University of Tübingen and Christian Gutt from the University of Siegen, with scientists at DESY and European XFEL, reports the research in two articles in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Eggs are among the most versatile food ingredients. They can take the form of a gel or a foam, they can be comparatively solid and also serve as the basis for emulsions. At about 80 degrees Celsius, egg white becomes solid and opaque. This is because the proteins in the egg white form a network structure. Studying the exact molecular structure of egg white calls for energetic radiation, such as X-rays which is able to penetrate the opaque egg white and has a wavelength that is not longer than the structures being examined.
Read more on the DESY website
Image: When heated, the proteins in the originally transparent chicken egg white form a tightly meshed, opaque network.
Credit: DESY, Gesine Born