Creating confidence in chemistry among students using ‘unboiling’ versus ‘unfrying’ of an egg: seasoning a food-science workshop with inquisitiveness, experimentation and research-dependent applications

Abstract

The announcement of the rare feat of ‘unboiling an egg’ in 2015 by biochemists from University of California, Irvine and Australia was more than just a chemistry demonstration. Pulling apart tangled proteins and allowing them to refold, the new technique not only prevented ‘misfolding’, thus also eliminating the chances for formation of useless products, but also speeded up the process by a factor of thousands. This technology promised transforming industrial and research production of proteins – affecting cheese flavouring and cancer treatment alike. A survey of 50 odd students in 2020, willing to enroll for an online Food-Science Workshop revealed, 72% did not believe that such an act like ‘unboiling an egg’ was possible, leave alone its being prevalent and essential. Delving into the nuances of this ‘egg-unboiling’ technology whilst contrasting it with ‘egg-unfrying’, our Workshop Incredible Edibles introduced sustainable-science in the guise of food-science. It is how lysozyme, urea, along with Maillard reaction, amino acids and sugars came together in the discussions that determined the gentle transition of these non-believers to hard-core fanatics of chemistry −76% participants admitted to having “discovered a whole new way to look at food” in the post-session survey. This article shall elucidate these results.

Keywords

• culinary chemistry
• food science
• online workshop
• science communication
• student research