Cereal Science and Technology in Today’s Academic and Industrial Environments: Case of the KU Leuven Laboratory of Foo

1. Cereal Science and Technology in Today’s Academic and Industrial Environments: Case of the KU Leuven Laboratory of Food Chemistry Professor Jan A. Delcour and colleagues, K.U.Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

2. Overview • Importance of the Cereal Sector • The Laboratory of Food Chemistry • Patenting Contributes to the Mission

3. Importance of the Cereal Sector • Cereals for feed and food • Wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye • Bread, pasta, beer, biscuits, cakes • Wheat processing (sugar syrups)

4. Major Industrial Players/Partners • Recent Past Puratos • Current Amylum Cargill Cerealia Danisco-Cultor Master Foods Procter & Gamble Meneba Remy Sedamyl Vamix

5. Mission Lab of Food Chemistry To fulfill a role in society by • 1/ generating and communicating basic insightsinto the starch, nonstarch polysaccharide, and storage and physiologically active protein constituents of cereals • 2/ applying and valorizing such insightswith the aim to understand and improve processing and/or final product quality in biotechnological processes where cereals are used

6. Research Activities

7. Funding Sources and Staff • 1/ Public funds: staff: 20 Basic component - Backbone: University : 5 positions - Competitive research positions: University: 4; National/regional agencies: 9; EU: 2 • 2/ Industry funds: staff: 20 Applied/valorization component

8. Major Fund Sources 2001 • Government, EU and University • KUL staff: 5 • Competitive research positions: 15 • Bench fees: ca EURO 270,000 • Industry • Positions: 21 bench fees: ca EURO 330,000 • Total budget ca EURO 2,350,000

9. Laboratory of Food Chemistry • Permanent Staff Dr J Delcour • TemporaryPost doctoral Staff Dr C Courtin Dr W Debyser Dr A-M Loosveld Dr W Veraverbeke • Research Assistants - PhD Students ir K Brijs ir F Delvaux ir G Depaepe ir V Derycke lic K Fierens ir S Frederix ir K Gebruers ir G Geldersir H Goesaert ir W Gys ir J Ingelbrecht ir C Maes ir K Moers ir I Trogh ir G Vandeputte ir I Verbruggen ir R Vermeylen • Administrative and Technical Staff K Bosmans C Jordens K Mélotte H Van Den BroeckB Vangeneugden L Van Den Ende

10. Microbial Malting Technology • Permanent Staff Dr J Delcour Dr C Michiels • Project Leaders ir I Noots (ing R. Delrue) • Research Assistants ing K De Bie ir C Garcia ir T Verwimp lic M Vandeynse lic I Vanderhoeven ir S Vynck • Administrative and Technical Staff K Cornelis S Fondeck C Jordens L Schuyten

11. Laboratory Facilities & Expertise • Laboratory Facilities • * Micro Malting Units (1 - 10 kg) * Milling Units (1-25 kg) • * Bread Making Unit (10 - 100 g) * Extruder (1- 5 kg) • * Differential Scanning Calorimeters * Rapid Visco Analyzer • * Brabender (High Pressure) Viscographs * Bruker NMR • * Kofler Hot Stage * Brabender Farinograph • * Stable Microsystems TA-TX2 * Mixograph • * Phast systems * FPLC/Akta Systems • * HPLC System * HPAEC System • * Gas Chromatography Systems

12. Laboratory Facilities & Expertise • Expertise • * Protein Isolation and Purification • * 1-D Gel Electrophoresis and iso-Electric Focussing of Proteins • * Dough Rheology • * Physico-chemical Properties of Starch • * Viscosimetry • * Nonstarch Polysaccharide Structures and Composition • * Cereal Processing • * Chemical Analysis of Foods • * Patenting

13. Challenge To create an environment where • both the basic and applied component are well developped • an efficient transfer of technology is brought into practice • a good team spirit is present

14. Classic Technology Transfer Cycle Research project Public funding Private funding Published results Unpublished results University benefit Industry benefit

15. Win-Win Transfer Cycle Research project Public funding Incentives Intellectual property Private funding Published results Royalty streams Win - win: joint university - industry benefit

16. Experience with Patents... • J.A. Delcour, R.C. Hoseney, Rye Extract Breadmaking Additives …., US 5,658,606. • G. Cleemput, J.A. Delcour, M. Hessing, Wheat NSP Hydrolysing Enzymes, WO 9709423. • T. Coppens, J.A. Delcour, D. Iserentant, Process for the Production of Malt, EP 0918844, WO 9849278. • W. Debyser, J.A. Delcour, Inhibitors of Xylanolytic and Glucanolytic Enzymes, WO 9849278, EP 0996709.

17. The TAXI Case… • Triticum aestivumXylanase Inhibitors - Introduction - Initial evidence, further work - Conclusions - Patenting and literature - Negotiation of transfer

18. TAXI: Arabinoxylan structure • non starch cereal cell wall polysaccharides • hydrolysed by endoxylanases • D-xylopyranosyl residues • L-arabinofuranosyl residues • Ferulic acid residues

19. TAXI: Initial Evidence 1. Arabinoxylan solubilisation during brewing • Pilsner type beers (100% barley malt) • Belgian wheat beers (60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat) 2. Inhibition of barley malt xylanolytic enzymes by wheat extracts

20. TAXI: Further Work 1. Protein purification and characterisation 2. Determination of inhibition patterns

21. TAXI: Conclusions • TAXI : • molecular weight 40,000 • pI 8.8 • two molecular forms • does not inhibit all endoxylanases • impact on breadmaking

22. A B C D A. Control (50.2 1.5 cc) B. Control + TAXI (46.3 1.0 cc) C. Control + A. niger Xylanase (60.0 1.7 cc) D. Control + TAXI + A. niger Xylanase (50.8 1.2 cc)

23. TAXI: Conclusions • Importance in cereal processing • malting & brewing • breadmaking • Function ? • Endogenous endoxylanases • germination • Exogenous endoxylanases • plant defence

24. TAXI: Patenting and Literature Debyser, W., Delcour, J.A., WO98/49278, filed 1997: concept and structure of xylanase inhibitors (TAXI type) Hessing, M., Happe, R.P., EP 0979830, filed 1998: structure of a non-TAXI endo-xylanase inhibitor Debyser, W., Delcour, J.A., WO98/49278, filed 1997, published 1998 Sibbesen, O., Soerensen, J.F., WO00/39289, filed 1998: structure of TAXI inhibitor Hessing, M., Happe, R.P., EP 0979830, filed 1998, published 2000

25. TAXI: Patents - Debyser, W., Delcour, J.A., Gebruers, K., Goesaert, H., European patent, filed 2000 : structure of TAXI and HVXI inhibitors - Sibbesen, O., Soerensen, J.F., WO00/39289, filed 1998, published 2000

26. To patent or not to patent… • Difficulties encountered in patenting • Different language • Expensive • Time consuming effort • Not sufficiently appreciated internally

27. To patent or not to patent… • Negotiation of transfer • Difficult to find partners • Tough negotiations • Difficult to correctly estimate the value (lump sum, research funds, royalty rates)

28. To patent or not to patent… • The bright side… • Rewarding intellectually • Way to increase research funds • Brings a research group into the picture as an interesting partner for collaboration • Allows to move towards win-win cycles of transfer of technology