Assistant professor Jana Raupbach's research brings clarity to what we eat. She uses analytical methods to address questions about the consequences of consuming processed foods on human health, thereby creating reliable evidence. At Technische Universität Braunschweig, she combines over a century of tradition in food chemistry with the nutrition of the future.
“When I started here, I was given the opportunity to move into very modern laboratories. That was, of course, a great opportunity. There are grants and funding instruments available here to help you implement your own ideas and take an active role.”
Professor Jana Raupbach is passionate about researching the chemical reactions that occur during food processing. Proteins are her area of expertise. She investigates how heat, pressure or enzymes change the structure of these macromolecules and what consequences this has for human health. This is particularly exciting because processed foods are often criticised for contributing to the development of chronic diseases. Unfortunately, however, data on how certain food components are absorbed and how they work is still rather limited. This is precisely where Jana Raupbach's research comes in. She uses scientific methods and studies to generate reliable evidence that will enable us to better assess the health effects of processed foods and their ingredients in the future.
A particular focus of her research is the ‘intestine as a reaction site’ in terms of its role as an active location for biochemical processes. Jana Raupbach is not only researching the changes that proteins and sugar molecules undergo prior to digestion, but also the metabolic products that are created in the gastrointestinal tract. She finds vegan milk and meat alternatives particularly fascinating. They have a special protein structure that makes them an exciting model group for the food chemist. Jana Raupbach wants to find out how different processing steps of plant-based alternative products affect digestion and what role their ingredients play in this process.
“I find Food Chemistry in general so exciting because it is simply a topic that affects us all on a daily basis. We make hundreds of decisions every day when it comes to our food or food intake. It is a very exciting field to educate people about.”
The combination of Chemistry, nutritional science and medicine makes her research particularly diverse and forward-looking. At the TU Braunschweig, Professor Jana Raupbach opens up new perspectives and opportunities for personal development for young scientists and students through her inspiring research and teaching. Boredom is out of the question for this dedicated researcher – because one thing is certain: the exciting world of Food Chemistry will continue to provide her with many new questions and answers.
More on Assistant Professor Jana Raupbach's research
