** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** HIGH QUALITY AND NUTRITIOUS FOODS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE STARCH INDUSTRY IS CENTRAL TO FOOD PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIES WORLD-WIDE. STARCH FUNCTIONALITY IS INTRICATELY RELATED TO THE COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF THE STARCH GRANULE, WHICH CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR MODIFYING STARCH PROPERTIES TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT SOCIETAL ISSUES. WE PROPOSE A NOVEL APPROACH TO MODIFY STARCH FUNCTIONALITY BY INCORPORATING SMALL GUEST MOLECULES WITH ADVANTAGEOUS NUTRITIONAL TRAITS INTO THE STARCH GRANULE AMORPHOUS REGIONS. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO CREATE NOVEL STARCH GRANULE-GUEST INCLUSION COMPLEXES WITH DESIRABLE STRUCTURE-FUNCTION TRAITS FOR FOOD QUALITY AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE WHILE ADVANCING FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIS FOR GUEST MOLECULE INTERACTIONS WITH STARCH. THESE VALUE-ADDED NOVEL STARCH INGREDIENTS HAVE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO NUMEROUS INDUSTRIES, AND THE GUEST MOLECULES WILL INCREASE DIETARY FIBER, ANTIOXIDANT, AND AMINO ACID PROFILES IN FOODS WHILE IMPROVING THE STARCH FUNCTIONALITY IN REDUCED-SUGAR FORMULATIONS. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) CREATE STARCH GRANULE-GUEST INCLUSION COMPLEXES, 2) UNDERSTAND THE THERMODYNAMIC AND STRUCTURAL BASIS OF GUEST MOLECULE INTERACTIONS WITHIN STARCH GRANULES, 3) DOCUMENT EFFECTS OF THE GUEST MOLECULES ON STARCH STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AND 4) DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOOD PRODUCTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM USING THESE NOVEL INGREDIENTS. THIS WORK ADDRESSES PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES DEVELOP NOVEL INGREDIENTS TO ENSURE THE QUALITY AND NUTRITION OF FOODS; IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NOVEL INGREDIENTS IN NOVEL FOODS AND INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES A1364.