Food Science and Health

Our aim is to improve the safety and quality of foods and food products for better health and wellbeing. We are expanding the understanding the role of foods in different diets and health, in order to develop safe and high quality food products. The ability of improved or functional food products in modulating different disease biomarkers are our driving research interest.

Our Research

The Nutritional Physiology and Health portfolio brings together the following research programs

• Natural products, neutraceuticals and disease
• Functional foods and health
• Food safety and quality
• Microbial ecology of foods and wine
• Nutritional influences on reproduction and fertility

Our capabilities

Our areas of strength and capacity include:

• A range of phytochemical, antioxidant activities
• Biomarker assays related to different disease based on chromogenic, fluorogenic and absorbance techniques
• Invitro and cell based glycation models and quantification of fluorescent and non-fluorescent advanced glycation endproducts.
• AGE-RAGE interaction  using molecular techniques and sRAGE determination using ELISA
• Laboratory models for microbial shelf-life determination in foods. Can be used for simulated trials.
• Laboratory fermentation trials
• Culture and non-culture based techniques for microbial identification