The most cited research lab in the world at your service
The Lab for Flavor Analysis and Enology (LAAE) is a research lab focusing on understanding the chemical basis of aroma and taste, especially in the wine industry. In this field we are the most cited laboratory in the world. We also conduct research on other products related with Flavor Chemistry, from truffles to domestic appliances.
LAAE was founded in 1986 by Professor Juan Cacho and is now headed by Professor Vicente Ferreira. The main headquarters are in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Zaragoza (Dept. of Analytical Chemistry). It also has a division at the University of La Rioja working in collaboration with the Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y el Vino. The laboratory group comprises 8 scientists with tenure, 2 scientists working for different projects, 1 technician and 12 pre-doc students.
Aroma and taste.
Our research line.
The group has a high international reputation in its scientific field. Three of its members appear among the most cited researchers in the Shanghai Ranking HiCi. The lab has ongoing collaborations with other research groups from France, UK, Germany and Italy, and it has received foreign researchers from more than 12 countries. In the industrial field, LAAE has collaborations with companies including Moet et Chandon, Nomacorc and BSH, and it offers analytical services for the enological industry.
The main idea of our research at LAAE is that every flavor is a sensory response to one or several molecules that can be identified by combining strategies for chemical separation (chromatography) with techniques of chemical elucidation (mass spectrometry) and organoleptic analysis (sensory analysis). Sensory perception can therefore be reinterpreted by combining chemical data with mathematical models consistent with the psychology of perception.
We are a university lab but we are currently developing our own business projects and we are open to working together with new partners.