Science at the Institute of Food Research

IFR’s scientific research is centred around the characterisation and understanding of the gut as an integrated biological system. Our scientists deliver crucial research outcomes that assist government and industry in addressing the challenges of food security, diet and health including obesity, and healthy ageing that we face as a nation.

IFR is second only to Tufts University in the USA as the top institution world-wide in agricultural and food sciences, based on the scientific impact of its scientists.

Research Themes

IFR's science is focussed around four themes, investigating the interplay between the host (including the Gastrointestinal Tract mucosa, the immune system, and the complex microflora), and ingested food (including its composition, physical structure, the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms, and allergenicity). This central goal integrates the research activities across IFR. 

The central aim of our research into the Integrated Biology of the GI Tract is to understand how the homeostasis between the GI tract microflora and the gut epithelium is maintained and how perturbation of this system can have consequence for health. This exciting approach, including the critical food dimension, differentiates our GI tract programme from work under­taken in a more medical setting. 

Our research into Plant Natural Products and Health aims to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms in humans by which diets that contain certain natural products help to maintain health and prevent the onset of chronic disease. 

We consider our food chemistry and biophysics approach to be unique in the UK, and our research into Food Structure & Health brings together expertise in food biopolymers, colloid and interface science with those of protein biochemistry, molecular modelling and gut epithelial biology, and has the overall aim of understanding how food structures behave in the gut and affect the breakdown and availability of macro- and micro-nutrients in food. 

In studying Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens we aim to discover new aspects of the biology of bacterial pathogens with the long-term goal of reducing the burden of foodborne disease in humans. Combining state-of-the-art molecular microbiology with mathematical biology reveals patterns in pathogen responses that are currently hidden by massive levels of complexity. 

Additional research activities

Theoretical systems biologists are developing new computational methods, helping to better understand large biological datasets.

Core Facilities

Our skill-bases in Metabolomics and Proteomics, Bioinformatics & Statistics, and Imaging are key to the effective delivery of IFR science. We maintain a Human Nutrition Unit for non-residential metabolic studies with human volunteers and are planning a Gnotobiotic Facility in collaboration with the Disease Modelling Unit at the University of East Anglia.

Exploitation

IFR scientists are encouraged to be entrepreneurial. Part of our strategy is to define a small number of activities that offer good potential for commercial development - ‘Exploitation platforms’.

• The National Collection of Yeast Cultures and Food Databanks are National Resource platforms based around critical resources established or developed at IFR whose maintenance is of national strategic importance. Both these unique areas are partially self-sustaining through the marketing and supply of services and information. 
•  Some activities have an applied science agenda. For example Sustainability of the Food Chain contributes to local initiates (Innovation in non-food crops) and the Sustainable Agriculture and Land Use challenge.
•  Some activities are focused on the exploitation of technical developments and are some way down the road to spin-out.  The Dynamic Gastric Model is a good example of this approach.

We have a particularly demanding role helping to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the UK agri-food industry - working in collaboration with companies, often funded by Government schemes designed to drive economic impact, but with advances always grounded in academic excellence. A trio of activities directly addresses industry needs:- IFR Extra, the Food and Health Network , and FHN Direct (lesley.swift@bbsrc.ac.uk) for 1:1 confidential research