Institute of Food Research
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May 2010: 'Science+Innovation' issue 1:10 published
S+I reflects IFR's latest science discoveries, and demonstrates its economic impact
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Dr Arnoud van Vliet and Dr Mark Reuter explain how Biofilm production aids Campylobacter survival
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Norwich Research Park
Welcome to the
Institute of
Food Research
IFR is a world leader in research into harnessing food for health and preventing food-related diseases. It is the only institute in the UK wholly dedicated to the food science, diet and health agenda. Our scientists address the UK rsquo;s Grand Challenges of obesity and healthy ageing by defining the relationship between food, diet and health, and they are making a vital contribution to the food security agenda.
We undertake internationally-ranked fundamental, strategic and applied research with high socio-economic impact, making a real difference to quality of life.
Mission-driven Institutes
IFR is an institute of the BBSRC. The institutes deliver innovative, world class bioscience research and training, leading to wealth and job creation, generating high returns for the UK economy. They have strong links with business, industry and the wider community, and support policy development.
The institutes' research underpins key sectors of the UK economy such as agriculture, bioenergy, biotechnology, food and drink and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the institutes maintain unique research facilities of national importance.
IFR research maps closely onto BBSRC rsquo;s key strategic research priorities :
Food Security bioscience for a sustainable supply of sufficient, affordable, nutritious and safe food, adapting to a rapidly changing world
Basic bioscience underpinning health driving advances for better health across the life course and improved quality of life, reducing the need for medical and social intervention
Bioenergy and industrial biotechnology biofuels and industrial materials from novel biological sources, reducing dependency on petrochemicals and helping the UK to become a low carbon economy
Our Research Themes
Integrated Biology of the
Gastro Intestinal Tract
We aim to understand how the major components of the GI Tract - the bacteria, the epithelial cells lining the gut, and the immune system interact to preserve gut health. This will help explain how and why these interactions go wrong in chronic disorders such as food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
Plant Natural Products and Health
Some key plant natural products are associated with potential health benefits. Our research extends from their synthesis and accumulation in plants, through their metabolism and excretion in humans, their biological interactions with human tissues and resultant downstream effects upon health. Collaboration with plant scientists and clinically-orientated researchers is a key feature.
Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens
Foodborne bacterial pathogens continue to cause public health and economic concerns in the UK and worldwide. Our research combines mathematical biology with experimental science to answer fundamental questions and to deliver scientifically exciting and applicable outputs aimed at removing pathogens from the food chain and generating savings for the health service.
Food Structure and Health
To help prevent diet-related conditions such as obesity, diabetes, allergy and some cancers we need to maximise the nutritional benefit of the food we eat. Scientists at IFR are discovering how the structure of food responds to the gut environment and how this in turn affects the digestion of food, release and uptake of nutrients.
Sustainability in the Food Chain
To seek to enhance the exploitation of food-chain residues and co-products. This will be achieved by developing a greater understanding of how to disassemble plant structures to produce biofuels and other marketable ingredients. It contributes to local initiates (Innovation in non-food crops) and the Sustainable Agriculture and Land Use challenge.
Latest News
IFR strengthens food safety research links with China
November 2010
IFR continues to develop links with scientists in China working in the vital field of food safety.
UK and Korean scientists forge links for food safety
November 2010
[LGC Press Release]
IFR recently took part in a workshop, hosted by LGC, that brought together UK and Korean experts to discuss current issues and challenges in the area of food safety.
Allergy poster prize
November 2010
Dr Thomas Aldick has won a poster prize at an International Symposium on Molecular Allergology for his poster, which describes the research t to assess how allergens are altered by other components in the food matrix during preparation and processing.
Broccoli study volunteers needed
October 2010
Volunteers to a scientific study will be asked to eat a new kind of broccoli that has been specially developed using conventional breeding to be enriched in a naturally-occurring compound called glucoraphanin. This compound is thought to be important in maintaining health and preventing diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
PhD Studentship opportunities
October 2010
The list of available PhD Studentships/ Research Degrees at the Institute of Food Research has now been published.
International Workshop on Food and Gut Health held at IFR
October 2010
IFR has hosted a three day workshop on food and gut health that brought together three leading organisations from the UK, France and the Netherlands to identify opportunities and priorities for trans-national cooperation in research, training and sharing of infrastructures.
IFR to launch Knowledge Transfer Partnership
October 2010
The IFR rsquo;s world leading expertise in understanding emulsions in foods is now being applied to developing improved food emulsion products through a new project running in partnership with a food ingredient manufacturer.
Enzyme discoveries that will fuel the future
October 2010
IFR is a partner in a project, funded by the European Union, which is looking for new ways of turning renewable materials into bioethanol. The project aims to discover enzymes from microorganisms, and use them to develop a biotechnological method of producing renewable fuels on an industrial scale.
IFR develops new method for detecting Clostridium botulinum spores
October 2010
IFR has collaborated in the development of a new method for detecting spores of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium is the major health hazard associated with refrigerated convenience foods, and these developments give the food industry and regulators more quantitative information on which to base the procedures that ensure food safety.
more news...
What's this button?
Institute of Food Research,
Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Tel: +44(0)1603 255000 Fax: +44(0)1603 507723
Email: ifr.communications@bbsrc.ac.uk
copy; Copyright Institute of Food Research. All Rights Reserved.
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