Institute of Food Research

Investment in bioscience skills and training to help meet economic and social challenges for the future

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:56:27 +0000

IFR is part of a consortium of research institutes on the Norwich Research Park that are to receive almost £4million of new funding from BBSRC to support the training of the next generation of scientists. The investment will fund 39 PhD students through a Doctoral Training Partnership award.

Next generation sequencing surveys Salmonella

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:35:06 +0000

Salmonella bacteria cause over a billion cases of illness worldwide each year, and over 500,000 deaths. To help efforts to reduce this, Dr Arthur Thompson and colleagues at IFR have produced the first extensive and accurate map that shows where in the Salmonella genome genes are switched on and read from.

Microbiology to play crucial role in ensuring food security

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 09:21:13 +0000

Professor Mike Peck of the Institute of Food Research has joined other experts from the Society for General Microbiology in launching a position statement on food security and safety. This sets out the key role that microbiology will play in ensuring that the 7 billion people in the world have access to safe and nutritious food.

Plant Food Supplement science and regulation meet up in Brussels

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:57:26 +0100

Partners on an EU project, including IFR, met with food regulators from many countries recently to discuss priorities in the science of plant food supplements.

Night at the museum for IFR scientists

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:57:02 +0100

Combase, the predictive microbiology database co-ordinated by IFR, was recently showcased to a public audience at the Natural History Museum in London, at an event designed to let people get hands-on with cutting edge science and meet the people behind it.

European Food Alliance: Nine successful European agrifood clusters join forces

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:55:37 +0100

The Institute of Food Research is part of a group of European agrifood organisations that have set up the European Food Alliance. to aid networkingwith the agrifood industry.

Researchers to identify the secrets of Salmonella’s survival

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 11:30:57 +0100

IFR researchers are to investigate how Salmonella survives during its lifecycle within our bodies, as a way of finding chinks in its armour that can be exploited to develop new therapies.

British research leads to UK launch of Beneforté broccoli

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 07:59:01 +0100

A new variety of broccoli with higher levels of a key phytonutrient is now available in UK shops thanks to experts working on both the biology of plants and the link between human nutrition and health. The new broccoli, which will be known as Beneforté, was developed from publicly-funded research at the Institute of Food Research and the John Innes Centre.

From food waste to fuel in 6 days to give zero to 60 in 3.9sec

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:56:01 +0100

A Biorefinery Centre is to be launched at the UK’s Institute of Food Research on Friday 30th September, where scientists will explore new ways to make use of residual plant material from food processing and agriculture. In collaboration with Lotus Engineering and other partners, they are addressing the challenge of producing fuel with a lower carbon footprint.

IFR to host international food composition and sustainable diets conference

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:14:07 +0100

IFR is hosting a three day international conference on food composition and sustainability diets, food data, bringing together 170 experts from 50 different countries to exchange ideas and opinions on the latest developments in the field.

Profiling wheat fibre

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:13:11 +0100

An analysis of the structural diversity of the principal component of dietary fibre in different varieties of wheat has been carried out, enabling breeding programmes to better take account of this important but complex component

New project will test novel mechanisms to control satiety

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 09:57:51 +0100

A new research project at the Institute of Food Research is to test in humans novel ways of trying to reduce appetite, as part of a strategy to combat the problems caused by obesity in the UK.

IFR at the Norfolk Food Festival

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:08:09 +0100

IFR at the Norfolk Food Festival August 2011 IFR will once again be supporting the EDP Bidwells Norfolk Food Festival. As well as being one of the Festival's sponsors, IFR's scientists will be taking part in a variety of different events. From the Tallest Jelly Competition, games and shows to debates and lectures on the most pressing issues surrounding food today, IFR will be dishing up something for everyone.

Tuning natural antimicrobials to improve their effectiveness at battling superbugs

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:17:49 +0100

Ongoing research at IFR is exploring the use of virus-produced proteins that destroy bacterial cells to combat potentially dangerous microbial infections. New research is showing that it is possible to ‘tune’ these endolysin properties to increase their effectiveness and aid their development as a new weapon in the battle against superbugs.

Nature reaches for the high-hanging fruit

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:37:33 +0100

In the first study of its kind, Dr Paul ÓMáille and co-researchers have used tools of paleontology to gain new insights into the diversity of natural plant chemicals. They have shown that during the evolution of these compounds nature doesn’t settle for the ‘low-hanging fruit’ but favours rarer, harder to synthesise forms, giving pointers that will help in the search for potent new drugs.

Shedding light on the glass state

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:36:03 +0100

In a special issue of the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics (EJPB) Dr Roger Parker and Dr Natalia Perez described new work which shed light on the molecular basis of stabilising proteins in the glass state.

Ask A Food Scientist at LunchBox at the Forum

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:35:09 +0100

Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to ask a food scientist? Now you have the chance as the Institute of Food Research is installing one of its food scientists into The Forum in Norwich as part of Lunchbox, the two week festival of street theatre that’s perfect to enjoy during your lunch break.

Minister opens World Class Innovation Centre and hears about world-leading science

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:15:30 +0100

The NRP Innovation Centre at the Norwich Research Park (NRP) provides offices and laboratory facilities for science and technology businesses at the heart of a major science cluster. Today (18th July 2011) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable, officially opened the Innovation Centre in the presence of regional business, political and scientific guests.

Research opportunity pays dividends for Canadian graduate student

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:26:11 +0100

Justin McCarville, a master's degree student in Applied Bioscience at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology has recently taken part in a three-month international internship at IFR, studying the immune response of the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract.

Genome analysis will reveal how bacteria in our guts make themselves at home

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:04:42 +0100

Researchers from the Institute of Food Research, led by Dr Nathalie Juge, and The Genome Analysis Centre have published the genome sequence of a gut bacterium, to help understand how these organisms evolved their symbiotic relationships with their hosts.

Cereal entrepreneur to get a taste of food research

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:38:33 +0100

Bill Jordan, founder of Jordan’s Cereals, will visit to the Institute of Food Research, on the Norwich Research Park, on the 23rd June to learn about the work of the institute and the Food and Health Network.

Mathematics points to new law in biology

Fri, 20 May 2011 12:57:58 +0100

A paper by a theoretical biologist at the Institute of Food Research has become the most viewed of all time on the journal Biomed Central Systems Biology .Dr Thomas Wilhelm described the necessary conditions for a fundamental phenomenon in nature, called bistability, that underlies cell division and cell differentiation.

Developing innovative processes to ensure fresh food is safe

Wed, 11 May 2011 11:18:19 +0100

IFR researchers have recently reviewed the use of cold atmospheric plasmas to inactivate Salmonella to assess their use by fresh or minimally-processed food producers.

Not only living longer, but living healthier - a new EU-funded project on diet and healthy ageing

Fri, 6 May 2011 10:59:40 +0100

IFR is a partner in a new EU-funded research project that is investigating how diet can help ensure that we remain healthy during old age. Immunological studies will feed into a study of how diet can affect a number of age-related conditions.

Modelling salmonella to produce safer pork

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:38:19 +0100

Salmonella infections are among the most common bacterial causes of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans. In the EU, up to 20% of human salmonellosis cases are thought to be due to consumption of contaminated pork products. An EU funded research programme, called BIOTRACER, is investigating the main sources of contamination and to help in this the IFR has led the development of a tool for modelling and predicting the growth of Salmonella in the pork supply chain.

Science in Norwich Day 2011

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:58:57 +0000

Over 2000 people visited Science in Norwich Day at the Forum in Norwich on Sat 19th March, the finale to National Science and Engineering Week. IFR presented its successful Taste and Flavour display to almost 200 people, including Norwich South MP Simon Wright and TV presenter Jon Tickle

Science Minister celebrates £26M investment at Norwich Research Park

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:34:09 +0000

The Minister for Universities and Science, the Right Hon. David Willetts MP, visited Norwich Research Park (NRP) today, following the Budget announcement by Government and the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council which will see £26M invested to deliver innovation from bioscience at Norwich Research Park.

£70M for innovation campuses associated with BBSRC institutes

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:18:59 +0000

The Government has today announced investment of £70 million for innovation centres on the Norwich Research Park and Babraham Research Campus. £26 million will come to the Norwich Research Park. The decision by government and the BBSRC to invest over £25M in the Norwich Research Park will help to transform the NRP Science and Enterprise Vision into a commercial and employment success, said NRP Director, Alan Giles.

Sharing the fat of the land

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:03:40 +0000

Working together is often better than working alone, and collaborations between BBSRC-funded institutes are set to prove that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts especially when it comes to utilising high-tech equipment to solve problems that require ultra sensitive measurements of cellular metabolites in both animals and plants.

How Campylobacter grows in the gut could be key to its eradication from poultry

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:59:04 +0000

Campylobacter jejuni is the most common cause of foodborne illness in the UK, responsible for an estimated 400,000 cases each year. Reducing the levels of Campylobacter in the food chain is a key aim, which could be helped by new findings describing how well Campylobacter is equipped to survive in the gut of birds.

Three IFR students present their work at The House of Commons

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:04:04 +0000

Three PhD students from the Institute of Food Research recently presented their work to an audience of MPs and leading scientists at The House of Commons. They were selected for the SET for Britain poster exhibition, organised by The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.

Maquipucuna cloud forest in Ecuador yields new species (of yeast)

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:39:04 +0000

In a unique collaboration between scientists from the UK, Ecuador and Reunion, a new species of yeast has been discovered growing on the fruit of an unidentified and innocuous bramble collected from the biodiversity-rich Maquipucuna cloud forest nature reserve, near Quito, in Ecuador.

Genome sequencing used to assess the threat to biosecurity from a novel form of Clostridium botulinum

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Scientists on the Norwich Research Park have sequenced the genome of a novel strain of Clostridium botulinum, one of the most dangerous pathogens known to man. The strain produces an unusual botulinum neurotoxin, known as type A5 neurotoxin, which was isolated by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), following a case of wound botulism.

New composting process recognised in Grower of the Year award

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:32:17 +0000

A patented process to control the degradation of plant material during composting has been short-listed as a finalist in the Technical Product category in this year's Grower of the Year awards. The process was invented by IFR's Prof Keith Waldron and developed with the help of industry partners. It has enabled Professor Waldron to produce growing media with sufficient plant structure to provide an alternative to peat.

Novel imaging technique looks inside starch granules

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:14:39 +0000

Starch is the major storage compound in plants, and a major component of cereal grains and so is an important part of our food. IFR scientists have developed a method of visualising and measuring the properties of the starch in a developing maize kernel, revealing previously unidentified properties.

Scientists complete the human 'fasting metabolome'

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:48:55 +0000

Scientists from the European Nutrigenomics Organisation have profiled the changes in our bodies molecules caused by prolonged fasting. This fasting metabolome may make it possible to characterise different people according to their metabolic reaction to nutritional stress, as a step towards personalised nutrition for maintaining an individual's health and wellbeing.

International collaboration to address food related health inequalities in Indian populations in the UK and India

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:27:15 +0000

The Institute of Food Research is leading a new research collaboration to investigate food-related health inequalities in Indian populations in the UK and India. At the inaugural meeting of international scientists in Mysore, they identified issues of over- and under-nutrition as well as food allergies and asthma.

IFR and Nofima Agreement

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:30:42 +0000

The Institute of Food Research and Nofima, the Norwegian Institute of Food Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, have entered into an agreement in principle. The purpose is to collaborate in developing research programmes, as well as exchanging common interests and advantages in food research.

'Missing' bacteria in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis patients identified

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:50:15 +0000

Scientists on the Norwich Research Park have identified some bacteria that are low in abundance in the gut of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients compared to healthy adults. This finding could be relevant to preventing or managing these conditions to maintain health.

IFR strengthens food safety research links with China

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:29:46 +0000

IFR continues to develop links with scientists in Shanghai working in the vital field of food safety. Pradeep Malakar recently attended the 50th anniversary, as a VIP guest, of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Science (SAAS) and the official opening of the new SAAS campus in the Fengxian district of Shanghai on 12th October 2010.

UK and Korean scientists forge links for food safety

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 13:17:19 +0000

The Institute of Food Research recently took part in a workshop, hosted by LGC, the UK's designated National Measurement Institute for chemical and biochemical analysis, that brought together UK and Korean experts to discuss current issues and challenges in the area of food safety.

Allergy poster prize

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 13:09:43 +0000

Dr Thomas Aldick has won a poster prize at the 4th International Symposium on Molecular Allergology (ISMA 2010) in Munich for his poster, 'Bet v 1 homologues are affected by food matrix-mediated modifications'

International Workshop on Food and Gut Health held at IFR

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:24:25 +0000

IFR has hosted a three day workshop on food and 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

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:25:19 +0000

The Institute of Food Research has developed a world leading expertise in understanding emulsions in foods, and is now to launch a new project that will transfer that knowledge into developing improved food emulsion products. The project is being arranged through the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme in partnership with Macphie of Glenbervie Ltd., an established food ingredient manufacturer who, with the Technology Strategy Board, will fund a science graduate based in the company, who will also spend periods back at IFR conducting the research.

Enzyme discoveries that will fuel the future

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 15:24:53 +0000

A consortium of research institutes, universities and industrial partners is using spruce chips from paper-making, wheat straw from farming and waste bran from milling as potential sources for fermentation by microorganisms to produce bioethanol, and is discovering new enzymes that could help carry out this process.

IFR develops new method for detecting Clostridium botulinum spores

Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:35:38 +0000

The Institute of Food Research 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.

The great big folic acid debate

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:44:34 +0000

Dr Sian Astley from IFR and Laura Read OBE, Policy Advisor, Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, hosted a session at the annual British Science Festival in Birmingham in 2010 examining the issues surrounding potential mandatory fortification of UK bread flour and the benefits of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects (NTD) in pregnancy.

New research projects aimed at improving diet and health

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:27:35 +0000

The Institute of Food Research is a partner in 2 out of 9 new projects aimed at uncovering links between diet and health and worth a total of £4M that have been announced today (15 September 2010) by a public-private partnership of three research councils (BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC) and 13 food and drink companies

Delaying fat digestion to curb appetite

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:58:09 +0000

Institute of Food Research scientists have discovered an unexpected synergy that helps break down fat. The discovery provides a focus to find ways to slow down fat digestion, and ultimately to create food structures that induce satiety.

Food allergy scientists meet

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:55:59 +0000

Scientists from the Food and Health Network of the Institute of Food Research involved in developing better tests for food allergens gathered recently at LGC, an international science-based company and recognised market leader in analytical, forensic and diagnostic services and reference materials, to share the latest developments in tackling the growing problem of food allergy.

How does broccoli stop prostate cancer?

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:01:00 +0000

Light has been cast on the interaction between broccoli consumption and reduced prostate cancer risk. IFR Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Cancer have found that sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli, interacts with cells lacking a gene called PTEN to reduce the chances of prostate cancer developing.

IFR and FHN will help create the "World Food Network"

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 10:58:10 +0000

The Institute of Food Research, and the IFR Food and Health Network, are set to play a part in the creation of the "World Food Network" an international capabilities network based around innovation in the food sector.

Understanding complex emulsions

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 11:57:20 +0000

New work from the Institute of Food Research has shown how sugar beet pectin acts as an efficient emulsifier, using a technique that could be used to unravel in the finest detail how such important food ingredients work.

Award for IFR Scientist

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:28:20 +0000

IFR post-doctoral scientist Valeria Giosafatto has been awarded a prize for her work on the enzyme transglutaminase as a biotechnological tool for the production of edible films to be used in active packaging.

HRH The Duke of York visits IFR

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:51:19 +0000

HRH The Duke of York visited the Norwich Research Park on Friday 25th June. Scientists at the Institute of Food Research showed The Duke of York their 'Model Gut'. Co-inventor Richard Faulks and Dr Martin Stocks from PBL Ltd, who provide investment and business development leadership to the project, introduced the system, which is providing the food and pharmaceutical industries with a physiological, cost effective and ethical alternative to animal studies and allows scientists to investigate the digestion of real foods or real pharmaceutical preparations on the laboratory bench.

Hay fever relief may be in your fridge

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:33:25 +0000

Hay fever sufferers will learn if the answer to their annual summer discomfort could already be available on supermarket shelves or even lurking in their fridge. Experts at IFR, the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, are investigating whether yoghurt type drinks can help bring relief to hay fever summer suffering.

Public Participation Can Strengthen Food Risk Studies

Fri, 14 May 2010 09:59:57 +0000

The inclusion of activists and members of the general public on teams of technical experts can, in some cases, beneficially expand the focus of food risk reviews, according to a new study. The results are important to government agencies and policymakers interested in including more public input and enhancing public trust of expert recommendations on food safety.

Biofilm production aids Campylobacter survival

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:41:01 +0000

Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have found a way that the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter can survive in the environment.

Production of Bioalcohols from Lignocellulosic,ÃÂÃÂ Waste Materials produced in the Agri-Food Chain

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:22:01 +0000

A new website containing details of the HOOCH project has just been launched. HOOCH is a 4-year research programme, funded by the Defra Renewable Materials LINK programme & HGCA, and aims to develop, evaluate and support the commercial exploitation of tailored approaches for converting different sources of agri-food-chain waste lignocellulose into so-called second-generation bioalcohols for the automotive industry.

Adults with learning difficulties getting to grips with the science of a healthy diet

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:02:06 +0000

An innovative project has enabled people with learning difficulties to uncover some of the science behind a healthy diet and to produce resources to share their finding with their peers.

Clostridium difficile bacteriophage endolysin technology

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:57:11 +0000

Sarum Biosciences Limited and PBL, the UK technology management company, today announced the signing of an exclusive worldwide licence agreement which enables Sarum to develop and exploit therapeutic and diagnostic applications of a bacteriophage endolysin protein for the treatment and detection of Clostridium difficile.