Lawrie Creamer
Lawrie Creamer FRSNZ | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence Kenneth Creamer 23 October 1937 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 7 September 2019 (aged 81) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Alma mater | University of Canterbury |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Milk protein chemistry |
| Institutions | Fonterra |
| Thesis | The Ladenburg rearrangement (1963) |
| Doctoral advisors | Jack Vaughan Alfred Fischer |
Lawrence Kenneth Creamer
Early life and education
Born in
Research career
Creamer joined the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute (DRI), later part of Fonterra, in Palmerston North in 1963, and between 1964 and 1966 he undertook protein research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[3] Returning to DRI, he rose to become a principal research scientist in 1990.[6] He led a research team that investigated the chemistry of milk proteins and their interactions.[6] His research covered both fundamental chemistry and practical aspects of the manufacturing of dairy products.[6]
His early work resulted in improvements to the manufacture and consistency of cheese and milk powders.[6] He carried out research into milk protein structures, and the effect of heat on milk and the aggregation of the proteins in whey.[6] As a result, whey proteins, previously only used as animal feed, became ingredients in a range of food products.[6] His research into casein hydrolysis in cheese led to greater understanding of the relationship between cheese composition, texture and flavour.[6]
The current system under which New Zealand dairy farmers are paid for their milk based on its content of milk fat and protein solids was a direct result of work by Creamer.[6]
From the 1990s, much of Creamer's research was on the structure of the whey protein β-lactoglobulin, how it is affected by heat, and its ability to bind vitamins.[6] His research found that the structure of β-lactoglobulin is altered at high temperature, forming a new protein that reacts with smaller milk proteins.[6]
Honours and awards
In 1973, Creamer received the ICI New Zealand Prize, for outstanding achievement in chemical research, and the following year he was elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.
Selected works
- Parris, Nicholas; Anema, Skelte G.; Singh, Harjinder; Creamer, Lawrie K. (1993). "Aggregation of whey proteins in heated sweet whey". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 41 (3): 460–464. .
- Smith, Mark H.; Edwards, Patrick J.B.; Palmano, Kate P.; Creamer, Lawrence K. (2002). "Structural features of bovine caseinomacropeptide A and B by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy". Journal of Dairy Research. 69 (1): 85–94. S2CID 19322085.
- Cho, Younghee; Singh, Harjinder; Creamer, Lawrence K (2003). "Heat-induced interactions of β-lactoglobulin A and κ-casein B in a model system". Journal of Dairy Research. 70 (1): 61–71. S2CID 86001284.
Death
Creamer died in Wellington on 7 September 2019 at the age of 81.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Lawrence Creamer death notice". Dominion Post. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Births". The Press. 25 October 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Branch officers 1977–78" (PDF). Chemistry in New Zealand. Vol. 42, no. 1. March 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: CO–Cu". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- hdl:10092/9250.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Fonterra scientist awarded top dairy honour". Scoop Business. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "The Academy: A–C". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Scott Medal". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 September 2019.