Biotechnology

Biotechnology relies on the use of cells or part of cells in the production of knowledge, products and services, and includes the use of gene technology and other methods in molecular biology to produce useful products for use in research, medicine, agriculture and industry.

Researchers at NTNU's Department of Biotechnology and Food Science study both basic questions as well as problems with practical applications. We are particularly interested in finding new applications for our national marine resources, as exemplified by advanced biotechnological applications of alginate from seaweeds/bacteria, chitin/chitosan from crustaceans and fish gelatine. We are also working on isolating new marine microorganisms that can produce medicines and other valuable substances, and we employ gene technology and modern analytical methods to understand and optimize processes in bacteria.

Food Science

Food science covers the nature of foods and the changes that occur in them naturally and because of handling and processing.

The field is multi-disciplinary, involving chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, nutrition, sensory science, food engineering, as well as consumer sciences to give one the scientific knowledge to solve real problems associated with today's and tomorrow's food systems.

The basis of food science lies in an understanding of the chemistry and microbiology of food raw materials and the reactions their components undergo during processing and or storage. Therefore, a complete understanding of processing and preservation methods is required, including primary handling, chilling, smoking, drying, freezing, pasteurization, and novel food processing technologies.