Unit Of Processing And Biochemistry

The Unit of Processing and Biochemistry was founded in 1997. The unit’s principal activity focuses on traditional cultures (crab-apple and commercial cultivars of apples, pears, plums, cherries, strawberries, red currants, black currants, gooseberries, raspberries), but is not limited to those; the unit carries out scientific research and research that is relevant to producers with cultures that are less common (sea buckthorn, Japanese quince, large-fruited cranberries) or wild fruit and berries (incl. wild rose, blueberries, elderberries). In 2016, the unit began research in vegetable cultures. The research is conducted both locally and within the framework of international scientific research, collaborating with producers and giving them the opportunity to apply the results in practice.

The Unit of Processing and Biochemistry facilitates the practical conducting of bachelor's, master's and doctor's thesis for the students of Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences of University of Latvia, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, as well as the conducting of research work of the students of Dobele State Gymnasium.

Activity goal: to create new knowledge and products, to develop innovative technologies that promote sustainable development and competitive capacity of Latvian horticulture and food sectors.

Activity directions:

  • Testing of cultivar suitability for various processing methods and new product, technology development;
  • Determining the chemical composition of traditional and untraditional horticultural crops and their processed products;
  • Research on horticultural crop storage (incl. controlled atmosphere conditions, research with 1-MCP).

Staff:

  • Dalija Segliņa – Dr. Sc. Ing., head of unit, leading researcher (food processing technologies, development of new products)
  • Pawel Gornas – Dr. Sc. Ing., leading researcher (food chemistry, liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography, mass spectrometry)
  • Inta Krasnova – Dr. Sc. Ing., researcher (product development, composition analysis, evaluation)
  • Karina Juhņeviča-Radenkova – Dr. Sc. Ing., researcher (fruit storage technologies, microbiology)
  • Vitalijs Radenkovs – Dr. Sc. Ing., researcher (waste–free technology research, enzymatic hydrolysis)
  • Inga Mišina – M.Sc.Sal., assistant (food chemistry)
  • Elise Sipeniece – Bsc. Ing., assistant (liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography)
  • Ieva Miķelsone – Bsc.Ing., assistant (lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds, liquid chromatography; data processing and interpretation.)
  • Danija Lazdiņa - Mg.Sc.ing., researcher (plant proteins and biologically active peptides)
  • Georgijs Baškirovs – Mg.Chem., researcher (development of new methods for determination of bioactive compounds in plants)
  • Elvita Bondarenko - Laboratory assistant
  • Krists Dukurs – laboratory assistant

Current projects: 

  • Tocotrienols and plastochromanols: Novel aspects of their occurrence, determination, isolation, and application (TOCO-SOURCE-SOLUTIONS) (2025-2027)
  • State Research Program "Research-based solutions for sustainable agri-food system addressed to the European Green Deal objectives (GreenAgroRes)" (2024-2025)
  • Horticultural plant breeding program for the development of breeding material to promote the introduction of conventional, integrated and organic growing technologies (2025)
  • Knowledge-driven Baltic Cider Production and Branding for Growth and Competitiveness of SMEs. ERDF Interreg Estonia-Latvia programme Project No. EE-LV00145 
    (2024-2027)
  • Integrated system for interactive public garden development in Baltic Sea Region (Interactive Gardens) (2023-2026)