Award details

Architecture of cellulose microfibrils in higher plants

ReferenceD13342
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Dr Michael Jarvis
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Professor David McComb
Institution University of Glasgow
DepartmentSchool of Chemistry
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 211,644
StatusCompleted
TypeResearch Grant
Start date 20/11/2000
End date 20/11/2003
Duration36 months

Abstract

We now know that in higher plants, cellulose is synthesised as crystallites ca. 2 nm across which can remain separate, aggregate loosely with xyloglucans to form 8-10 nm microfibrils, or coalesce into monocrystalline ca. 5 nm microfibrils as in the relatively pure textile celluloses. Using NMR, FTIR and electron diffraction we will determine the shape of the 5 nm microfibrils of cotton and flax cellulose, defining which crystal planes bound the Ibeta lattice and how the surface chains overlie them. The resulting model will be extended to the more complex microfibrils of primary- wall cellulose.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research TopicsX – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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