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Lactic bacteria are very useful for obtaining fermented products (e. g. yoghurts, cheeses, cream) but they are weakened by technological operations (freezing, freeze-drying, spray drying) which reduce their viability and therefore their effectiveness. Generally, cryoprotecting molecules such as disaccharides (sucrose, lactose, trehalose) are used. However, oligosaccharides such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) have shown comparable effects with additional properties and benefits.
Thus, their production by adding value to biomass (chicory, yacon, dahlia) or co-products (lactose, whey) and their prebiotic properties give these oligosaccharides an interesting added value. However, their use is currently limited due to the lack of control of their effectiveness in relation to their composition and the lack of knowledge of interaction mechanisms to produce oligosaccharides at the right degree of polymerization (DP).
The objectives of the PREMIUM project are to remove these scientific and technological barriers by taking into account the quality of the laboratory's products on an industrial scale and by reducing the environmental footprint of the process.

This 4-year project is supported by INRA and involves 6 European academic partners located in France, Spain and Portugal as well as Argentina and 3 European industrial partners.

Marie-Hélène Ropers from the ISD team is in charge of one of the workpackages that aims to understand the interactions between the membranes of lactic acid bacteria and oligosaccharides FOS/GOS. The experimental and theoretical approach will be conducted in conjunction with the University of Coimbra in Portugal, AgroParisTech, the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Spain and CIDCA in Argentina and will use biophysical methods to elucidate the structure of membranes and their organization in the presence of oligosaccharides.

• Duration: 1st January 2018- 31st December 2022
• Academic partners:
  • INRA (GMPA et BIA), France
  • AgroParisTech, France
  • Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), Espagne
  • University of Madeira (Uma), Portugal
  • University of Coimbra (UC), Portugal
  • CONICET, Center for Research and Development in Food Cryotechnology (CIDCA), Argentine
• Industrial partners:
  • Biosearch S.A., Espagne
  • Asymptote Ltd., UK 
  • Cryolog, France
• Coordination : Fernanda Fonseca (INRA GMPA)
• Total Budget: 634 500 €