Join us for the next event in: Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University Excellence Series. This series has been designed to showcase leadership in various disciplines including the opportunity to promote the University’s distinctive and impactful applied research. This series celebrates research excellence and promotes a public forum to a broader community, highlighting Lincoln University’s specialist land-based contribution to driving New Zealand’s prosperity and intergenerational wellbeing.
Proteins are the active component of life: the “doing” molecules. Animal proteins also comprise a large proportion of New Zealand’s exports. The basic structure and functions of proteins has been known for eighty years but it is only much more recently that we have had the tools to understand how important modifications are to the vast variety of uses for proteins.
As a biochemist, Professor Jim Morton, has studied proteins in bacteria, plants and animals for forty years. He has a particular interest in on the modifications of proteins of economic interest and much of this research has been in partnership with AgResearch.
Join us as we hear from Professor Jim Morton sharing his work exploring the role of proteins in living organisms and how they are modified both in life and when turned into products. Using meat as an example, he will show how a protein involved in muscles becomes important in the tenderising of meat. He will also discuss the importance of meat in the human diet, efforts to optimise value from this expensive food and the state of research into alternatives to meat.
Please note: this event is being held in a new venue on campus - Waimarie Building
Timings
4.00 pm - Networking and drinks
4.15 pm - Welcome & introduction from LU Vice-Chancellor
4.20 pm - Presentation from Speaker
4.50 pm - Summary
5.00 pm - Networking and questions over drinks and nibbles
5.30pm - Event Ends
About Our Speaker
Professor Jim Morton
I am a biochemist with an interest in protein modification and proteases. My research is applied and integrates proteomic and metabolomic approaches. My work has included sheep models of cataracts, protein modification to meat quality, and the environmental and health aspects of meat. The cataract model was developed from a collaborative UC-LU programme which I led, with a focus on developing novel inhibitors for calpains. These have been successful in slowing cataracts in sheep. I have also studied the proteomics of protein modification, which has dealt with fundamental issues of detecting quantitative and qualitative changes at an individual amino acid level as proteins are exposed to oxidation and thermal damage in the applied context of economically important proteins: meat, milk and wool. My current research focuses on the changes that occur as muscle turns to meat, particularly the stability of meat colour and the tenderization process. I am also applying my expertise in protein purification and characterisation to collaborate in a number of other projects in food and wine.
Research profile Jim Morton
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