Institut for Fødevarevidenskab, KU FOOD

Stort tillykke til Ourania Gouseti og Vibeke Orlien, som begge har modtaget en bevilling fra Independent Research Fund Denmark i dag🌳 👏 Ourania har modtaget 3,1 mil. til projektet BioMyTerials, som vil udnytte mycelium, rodstrukturen af trådsvampe, til at producere nye biomaterialer med egenskaber, der er afstemt under vækst, og som derfor kræver minimal efterproduktionsbehandling. Dette materiale har store anvendelsesmuligheder udover fødevarer, såsom i byggeindustrien - og netop disse to sektorer bringes sammen under projektet🍄⭐ Læs mere om det her: https://lnkd.in/eA7MTGVj Vibeke har modtaget 2,8 mil. som hun vil bruge på at forbedre plantebaserede kødanaloger i projektet Synergizing chemistry and data science to enhance plant-based food development. Projektet vil undersøge, hvordan forskellige planteproteiner opfører sig under ekstrudering, og hvordan den proces kan optimeres, ved at kobinere protein-kemi, spektroskopi, kvalitetsvordering og avanceret dataanlyse - alt sammen for at kunne levere bedre, bæredygtige og attraktive alternativer til animalske fødevarer 🌱 ⭐ Læs mere om projektet her: https://lnkd.in/ebHQsA-s Stort tillykke begge to, og tak til Independent Research Fund Denmark for bevillingerne!

🎓 Congratulations to Getnet Tesfaw, who successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis yesterday! 👏🥳 Getnet's research has focused on the gut microbiome of children in Ethiopia, investigating gut microbiome dynamics in childhood diarrhea, enteric infections and malnutrition in Ethiopian children below the age of five - having analyzed more than 2000 fecal samples. And completing his Ph.D. on this topic is particularly meaningful for him. "I'm from Ethiopia, and persistent diarrhea is a big issue here with a high mortality rate, like in many other low- and middle-income countries. There's no effective treatment for persistent diarrhea, and antibiotics, for example, may compromise the gut microbiota and worsen the illness. So, I'm very happy to both be finishing my Ph.D., and also to do it while contributing to such an important scientific area," says Getnet. Among Getnet’s achievements during his Ph.D., he’s the first author of a recent study published in Nature Communications that has linked a specific pattern of gut bacteria to persistent diarrhea, which could pave the way for new treatments, and dietary supplements, that can be used to save lives. You can read more about his work here: https://lnkd.in/eYMRyZpd Getnet’s interest in the power of the gut microbiome on our health started back in 2014, when he was studying his master's at Jimma University. Jimma University has a research alliance with Københavns Universitet - University of Copenhagen on clinical and nutrition research, named JUCAN, and it was through this alliance that he first met Dennis S. Nielsen, who has been Getnet's Ph.D. supervisor. His options for the future are open as of now, but he knows that he wants to keep using his knowledge on the microbiome to solve health challenges: "I really enjoy working with coding, bioinformatics analysis and data science, and that's what I want to continue to do, maybe as a postdoc or in a position where those skills are needed. I'm working on finding the right place, and since I'm up for relocating, hopefully I'll find it soon," says Getnet. Congratulations again, Getnet, and best of luck in the future!

Last Thursday, Zoran Gojkovic and Erik Lund from Carlsberg Group were the gracious hosts for 25 of our students on the BSc in Food and Nutrition, for a fascinating evening in the name of brewing science at Carlsberg Research Laboratories. And what an evening it was! Zoran and Erik guided us through the various landmark discoveries made throughout Carlsberg's history, making clear why Carlsberg is a world leader in brewing, as well as explaining the profound impact the discoveries have had on the creation of present day industries such as biosolutions. Throughout the evening, there were taste tests (and taste quizzes!), scientific explanations, great career advice, and even a visit from Birgitte Skadhauge, Vice President, Carlsberg Group, Carlsberg Research Laboratory. If you're interested in the fascinating world of beer brewing, make sure to check out our MSc programme in Food Science and Technology, where you can specialize in brewing science. Read more on the specialization here: https://lnkd.in/e7kbHbKh Thank you to all the students who came, and thank you to Birgitte, Erik and Zoran for hosting us all!

💧 UNLOCKING THE SECRET TO VELVETY FIBERS🌱 Lilia Ahrné, Gabriele D'Oria, and colleagues have developed a way to remove the dry and gritty mouthfeel that often comes when eating insoluble dietary fibers. The solution is to coat the fibers in gel. “The gel coating makes the fibers feel velvety, like cream on the tongue, where you can't feel the individual particles because the gel prevents contact between the particles and the tongue. Since the gel is at least as soft as tongue tissue, it doesn’t trigger the sensory receptors, and we don’t perceive the gritty texture,” explains Gabriele D'Oria. The negative mouthfeel of fiber-rich foods has been a major hurdle in getting people to consume enough fibers, which are crucial for our bodies and health. This method of "disguising" the fibers thereby not only enables a wider variety of foods, it can also help to solve an increasingly widespread health dilemma. "We are dealing with a global nutritional issue that will only grow as the world’s population ages. Elderly people who consume too little fiber are more prone to, among other things, digestive issues, unintended weight loss and general frailty. Therefore, there will be a need to develop fiber-rich products that people actually want to eat," says Lilia Ahrné. Read more about the study here: https://lnkd.in/eiRMAYrd

🎓 Congratulation to Rasmus Riemer Jakobsen, who successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis last week! 👏🥳 Rasmus' thesis is entitled Exploring the early-life gut microbiome: The impact of preterm birth, breastfeeding and maternal factors on infant health and development. We're also happy to say that he's staying with us here at UCPH FOOD, continuing as a postdoc in the new EIC Pathfinder-project, Bugs4Urate, which you can read more about here: https://lnkd.in/eEjp5WTS ! ⭐

🏅 Congratulations to Mikkel Lorenzen, who was awarded the 3rd place in the PhD of the Year Award in the European Federation of Food Science and Technology 2024 conference last week! ⭐ Mikkel's research, with Lilia Ahrné as the main supervisor, explores the impact of fat content on the properties and processing behavior and product properties of casein extrudates produced through high moisture extrusion 🥛 🧀 Congratulations again, Mikkel!

📜 Hjælp os med at blive klogere på sundhed, trivsel og skifteholdsarbejde! Helene Reinbach leder efter deltagere til fokusgruppeinterviews for at undersøge, hvordan skifteholdsarbejde påvirker sundhed og trivsel. Du kan tilmelde dig her: https://lnkd.in/dWkqT69 Forskningen er en del af det store EU-projekt, SHIFT2HEALTH, som du kan læse mere om her: https://lnkd.in/eqRRhm2Z

📢 Join the launch of The Power of Food | Network! 👏 The Power of Food Network brings together experts in food science, nutrition, health, epidemiology, and social and behavioural sciences to foster inter-disciplinary research collaborations. On December 5th and 6th, the network's launch event is held, including: - an open session showcasing keynote speakers - open discussions with funders - networking opportunities with network members - a closed session where network members collaborate to share knowledge and develop project ideas. The vision of the network is to advocate for funding opportunities that address the inter-section of food and medicine, and to create a forum where experts can support funding applications and collaborate to drive synergy across these fields. The event is free, with limited spots, but registration is needed. More details and registration here: https://lnkd.in/ewEKzhe7

🍀 FRA KLØVERGRÆS TIL PROTEINRIG IS 🍦 Det er HQProtein-projektet, med Vibeke Orlien i spidsen, godt i gang med at udvikle. Og særligt kløvergræs er en ressource, som vi kan få gavn af at kunne bruge som fødevare - hvilket du kan se mere om i videoen herunder ⭐ HQProtein er støttet med 6,7 mio. kroner af GUDP - Grønt Udviklings- & Demonstrationsprogram, og det løber indtil udgangen af 2025. Følg med på Development of high quality grass-protein foods for løbende opdateringer på projektet 🍀 Og læs mere om HQProteins arbejde med protein-is her: https://lnkd.in/e4qXv7va

🦠 Diarrhea leads to the deaths of 500.000 children under the age of five every year, but new findings on gut bacteria may change that 🦠 Dennis S. Nielsen and Getnet Tesfaw have recently published a study in Nature Communications linking chronic diarrhea to specific gut bacteria patterns, after mapping the gut microbiomes of 1,300 Ethiopian children. Their work could pave the way for targeted, lifesaving treatments. "The progression into persistent diarrhea seems to be driven by a loss of beneficial bacteria. We do not yet know the exact cause, but we speculate that while antibiotics may be necessary to treat acute diarrhea, they also kill off good gut bacteria. As a result, children may enter a vicious cycle where chronic diarrhea takes over because they don’t consume the right foods to restore these beneficial bacteria," explains Dennis Sandris Nielsen. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eYMRyZpd