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SIFBI’s Analytics platform ensures the quality and safety of food ingredients through advanced chemical analysis. It supports interdisciplinary research and fosters collaboration within the industry aimed at innovating food and consumer care for improved health and well-being. We specialize in identifying bioactive and flavour compounds, analyzing chemical changes during food/fermentation/biotechnology fragrances processing, and addressing challenges faced by the industry.

Molecular & Flavour Characterization

We leverage the A*STAR Natural Product Library (NPL) and multinational corporation (MNC) ingredients to identify flavour and bioactive molecules (e.g., oligopeptides, preservatives, antibacterials, antioxidants, taste molecules, PPAR modulators, anticancer agents) through advanced natural product analytics, bioinformatics tools, and high-throughput screening.

• Phase I: Chemical Dereplication – Rapid identification of bioactive compounds using LC-QTOF-MS and an in-house HR-MS/MS database, integrating external databases to detect both known and novel compounds.
• Phase II: Fractionation & Structure Elucidation – Purified active fractions undergo HR-MS/MS and 2D-NMR analysis to confirm identities or determine novel structures, with new spectral data added to the A*STAR NPRL MS/MS database.
• Sensomics approach to decode the colour and flavour active component in food samples.
• Small scale downstream processing method development, isolation, and structure identification of known and unknown analogues

Aroma Characterization

We investigate the formation of desirable and undesirable aroma-active compounds in food, fermentation, biotechnology fragrances, and processing methods.

• Isolation of key flavour compounds using Solvent-Assisted Flavor Evaporation (SAFE), Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME), and Twister.
• Compound characterization via GC-MS, GC-FID, and GCMS-Olfactometry.
• Stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) for precise quantification of key aroma compounds.
• Food matrix interactions and in vivo flavour release characterization.

Metabolomics

We conduct analyses of metabolites through both targeted and untargeted metabolomics, biomarker discovery, and high-resolution chemical fingerprinting

• Expertise includes the analysis of macro-micronutrients, as well as phytochemicals, to ensure ingredient safety and quality.
• High-resolution chemical fingerprinting and chemometric analysis for ingredient development and process optimization.
• Targeted and untargeted metabolomics, along with lipidomics, support nutritional research and the valorization of agricultural waste.
• Multivariate statistical analysis techniques such as PCA, hierarchical clustering, and Venn diagrams to identify significantly altered metabolites.
• Advanced high throughput sampling methods, including RapidFire QQQ/QTOF MS and DART, to accelerate the discovery process.
• Highly customizable analytical support for small molecules

Cross-functional validation of intriguing biomarkers or functional ingredients by our Metabolomics, Molecular & Flavor/Aroma Characterization teams.

Future research will explore bioactive compound quantification and metabolic fate in intervention studies using LC-MS/MS and quantitative NMR.