In collaboration with Rob Field and Cathie Martin, we are developing methods to study the surface specificity of starch synthase isoforms in vitro with a view to understand their individual contributions to the wide diversity of starch granule properties in vivo. For example, we have recently developed a surface plasmon resonance approach to monitor polysaccharide synthesis in real time on a surface using a model system. The turnover number of the enzyme on the surface could be determined with this method. We have also used atomic force microscopy to measure the rigidity of these carbohydrate surfaces.