b'FIELDS OF THE FUTUREYongfeng Ai and his team at theHe says chickpea is also an unexplored University of Saskatchewan are helpingfrontier in the protein space. While its meet the future of the new food economygrown extensively for food, Ai notes thatimproving the processes of transform- chickpea is not commonly grown for pro-ing pulses into novel food ingredients,tein and starch extraction. new bioplastics and high-value biomedicalIn a nutshell, his research could eventu-materials. ally lead to identifying and developing Pulse starches display a wide variety ofnew pulse varieties for specific industrial traits that make them unique from otheruses, beyond just food. botanical sources. They can develop intoAis work recently attracted the atten-biogels of various physical forms, toleratetion of the Governments of Canada high-temperature processing, and are aand Saskatchewan, which awarded his good source of resistant starch, including ateam $2.5 million through the Canadian new type of dietary fibre and prebiotic.Agricultural Partnership.The strong gelling and film-formingHis team has five years to deliver on a abilities of pulse starches make themfive-point plan that will offer a roadmap to useful in bioplastics and biomedical mate- better utilizing pulses to meet the future rials like packaging, fabric fibres, hemosta- of a world that is increasingly relying on sis materials and wound dressing. plant-based proteins and starches.More importantly, the derived bio- We have only scratched the surface products are highly biodegradable andof how pulse crops can be used to createMaria DeRosa is developing compostable, which can make them anew and innovative products, he says. biosensors and smart materials sustainable option for producing easilybased on aptamersshort disposable products in the future. The Birth of Smart Seed Treatments? synthetic DNA or RNA sequences As a faculty member in the CollegeImagine a seed treatment that uses athat specifically bind to a diverse of Agriculture and Bioresources andsmart fertilizer to deliver nutrients selec- variety of targets from small the Ministry of Agriculture Endowedtively to a crop while avoiding uptake by amolecules to whole cells. Research Chair in Carbohydrate Qualityweed, or one that delivers an agrochemicalPhoto by Blazej Marczakand Utilization, Ai will explore theseto a pest while avoiding any effect on the new applications for Saskatchewan pulsecrop or other species. starches, and streamline the conversionOttawas Maria DeRosa is working on processes from newly harvested pulses,doing just that. The Carleton University including peas, faba beans, lentils andresearcher recently received a 2021 Bayer chickpeas, to high-value food, bioplasticGrants4Ag award for her work using short and biomedical products. stretches of DNA called aptamers to make And to do that, hes working withagriculture more sustainable.breeders like the Crop DevelopmentDeRosa is developing biosensors and Centres Tom Warkentin and Bunyaminsmart materials based on aptamersTaran to explore the protein potential ofshort synthetic DNA or RNA sequences known pulse varieties. that specifically bind to a diverse variety ofI GOT HOOKED ON THAT We dont believe all the pulses wetargets from small molecules to whole cells.know of have fully realized their potential.Her goal is to discover new aptamerIDEA AND STILL AM.Some of the varieties are underutilized,sequences, understand their binding like wrinkled pea. Its a variety that farm- properties and apply them to help solveMaria DeRosaers dont grow, but this variety has proteinproblems in a wide range of fields, includ-levels higher than commonly-grown peaing health, environment and agriculture.varieties, Ai says. One of the projects that we have Starch profiles are also somethingrelates to the idea that an aptamer could that havent been explored to a greatrecognize a root exudate and use that as a extent in pulses, and we are working totrigger for the release of, say, a fertilizer, or better understand those starch profiles,an herbicide or a pesticide, she says. their nutritional value and how differentWeve already been able to show that varieties behave under fractionation. we can find an aptamer that could rec-18GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2021'