Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology
Professor Zorn joined the Liebig-College in 2016. He offers Liebig-College students the possibility to participate in his research fields. Here you can review possible research topics.
Key aspects of the research of the Zorn group comprise the analysis and biotechnology of flavour compounds and the enzymology of basidiomycetous fungi and insects. Due to their pleasant taste and high nutritional value, basidiomycetes are valued foodstuffs all over the world. Beyond their alimentary use, basidiomycetes are used as sources for bioactive secondary metabolites, for biocatalysts with novel properties, and for the development of alternative fermentation concepts. Adapting their metabolism to varying carbon and nitrogen sources, saprophytic basidiomycetes secrete a wealth of extracellular enzymes, the secretome, which enables them to degrade lignocelluloses and further biopolymers as well as to biotransform precursor molecules into valuable aroma and taste compounds.
Insects are able to feed on a broad spectrum of nutritional sources, due to a variable enzymatic system which can be endogenic or provided by associated microorganisms. This enzymatic system is employed, e.g. for the hydrolysis of industrially relevant proteins.
Natural flavour compounds like nootkatone, norisoprenoids, and aromatics are produced from readily available precursor materials by means of biotechnology. Sophisticated tools of flavour analysis are employed to characterize substrates and products as well as to elucidate the biochemical flavour formation pathways.