Current Research
Figure 2. The hierarchical structure of higher plant starches.
Plant storage organs construct the polymer into an architecture which may be loosely defined on four separate levels of resolution. 1. Molecules; α-(1→4)-linked glucan chains, which are also branched at the α-(1→6) position (amylopectin). 2. Lamellae (~9nm); adjacent amylopectin chains form double helices and pack together in a regular fashion to form crystalline lamellae. 3. Growth rings (~100’s nm); the matrix consists of alternating, concentric, amorphous and semi-crystalline zones with a repeat distance of several hundred nanometers. 4. Whole granule morphology (2-50 μm).
