Institute Update
Carding appointment announced
The first of the research leaders linked
with IFR’s new strategic relationship with
the University of East Anglia has recently
been appointed. Simon
Carding joins the University
as a joint appointment with
IFR from the University of
Leeds, where he is Professor
of Molecular Immunology in
the Institute of Molecular and
Cellular Biology.
Following his
PhD at London he held postdoctoral
positions at New
York University School of
Medicine, New York and at Yale University
School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
He then moved to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA as
Assistant and later Associate Professor,
joining Leeds in 1999.
His scientific
interests are in understanding
how the immune response in
the gut functions and in
particular, is able to distinguish
between the commensal
microbes that reside in the gut
and environmental microbes
that cause disease, and in the
mechanisms by which the
body’s immune system no
longer ignores or tolerates
commensal gut bacteria and how this leads
to immune system activation and
inflammatory bowel disease.
IMPACT
In April this year we are publishing on our website a review of the Institute’s economic and
social impact, an independent report being developed for us by the consultants DTZ.
As part of our forward planning, we are launching a 100% IFR-owned subsidiary that will
enable us to adopt a more commercial and positive response to the short-term problems of
the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
Rapid response to industry problems
IFR is launching a new service which
will enable us to provide solutions to
the short-term problems of companies
in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. The service offers expertise
(consultancy), training, research and
analysis.
We aim to provide high quality service
to industry, with a rapid response time.
The majority of work undertaken by the
new service would be smaller research
contracts or specialist analytical
services, using a wide range of the
advanced analytical techniques based
on the Norwich Research Park.
We welcome all potential enquiries, but
particularly in authenticity, microbiology,
consumer sciences, plastics/packaging,
analysis and materials science/processing.
In these areas we will provide access to a
range of experts currently working within
IFR, or recently appointed to work with us.
The full ranges of services offered will be
publicised shortly.
For further information please contact
Reg Wilson - reg.wilson@ifr.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 255210
Kerry I'Anson - kerry.ianson@ifr.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 255342
Proteins under the Spotlight
Researchers from IFR have collaborated with
the University of Oxford to examine how
changes at the molecular level affect the
properties of proteins used in food and drink
manufacture.
The surface activity of a substance, which
determines whether it can work efficiently as an
emulsifier, depends on its molecular properties,
such as its electrical charge and hydrophobicity.
Highly hydrophobic molecules are repelled by
water. Altering conditions, such as temperature
and acidity, can change these properties.
The scientists have used a variety of techniques to
work out precisely how these changes affect the
molecular structure of α-lactalbumin, and how this
relates to its surface activity.
α-lactalbumin, in its natural, native state, is not a
great emulsifier, and needs processing to improve its
surface activity. They found changes in the protein
structure after heating it to 80°C and cooling - some
of the protein misfolded, exposing hydrophobic
regions, which makes the protein better able to
adsorb to the surface of oil drops. The altered
proteins also show greater flexibility, which makes
them more likely to unfold on the surface and remain
there once unfolded. These structural changes are
responsible for the improved surface activity of
α-lactalbumin after heating.
Similar structural changes were observed when
α-lactalbumin was analysed in increasingly acidic
conditions. As pH is decreased, an increasing proportion of the
protein unfolds, and surface activity increases. However, the decreased
pH also increased the net electrical charge of the molecule, which leads to the
α-lactalbumin molecules repelling each other, reducing their surface activity.
The optimum pH, where these two effects balance each other, is at around pH 4.
A protein in barley, called non-specific
lipid transfer protein (LPT1), is
important in determining the quality of
the head on a pint of beer, because of
its surface active properties. These
properties are only apparent after the
protein has been modified during wort
boiling, and the boiling temperature is
critical to the final product’s foam
formation to make a good head.
The research teams used NMR
techniques to characterise the effects of
these modifications, and how they relate
to the surface activity of the protein.
LTP1 consists of four helical segments
that enclose a hydrophobic cavity, and
when the protein is modified this cavity
expands. This expansion has a knock-on
effect on the rest of the protein,
making it more flexible. This is believed
to be the explanation for the improved
surface activity of LTP1.
Publications:
R. Wijesinha-Bettoni et al. (2007) Heat treatment
of bovine α-lactalbumin results in partially folded,
disulfide bond shuffled states with enhanced
surface activity. Biochemistry 46 9774-9784
Chunli Gao et al. (2008) Surface properties are
highly sensitive to small pH induced changes in the
3-D structure of α-lactalbumin. Biochemistry 47 1659-1666
R. Wijesinha-Bettoni et al. (2007) Post-translational
modification of barley LTP1b: the lipid adduct lies in
the hydrophobic cavity and alters the protein
dynamics. FEBS Letters 581 4557–4561
Funding: Joint BBSRC Grants (BBS/B/12466
and BBS/B/12393), BBSRC Core Strategic Grant
Contact: Alan Mackie or Clare Mills
Spotlight on industry partners in EuroPrevall
One company involved in the development of novel diagnostics is VBC-Genomics,
an Austrian based SME. They have contributed their innovative biochip technology for
multiplex specific IgE measurements from only 20µl of serum which has capitalised on the
EuroPrevall Allergen library, a collection of 64 purified and characterised allergens from
over 14 different foods. The integration of EuroPrevall food allergen components in the
biochip format is allowing the project to screen large numbers of sera for specific IgE
against all EuroPrevall allergens in a high throughput and cost efficient manner.
The technology has been performing well and VBC have formed a close alliance with
Phadia, the leading supplier of blood test systems for allergy diagnostics worldwide who
participate in Europrevall in two separate functions: as the main supplier of regular specific
IgE antibody tests (ImmunoCAP) to the project and as an active partner in the
development and evaluation of specific IgE tests based on novel molecular allergens from a
range of different foods.
VBC hopes to expand its commercial allergen panel by including high quality food
allergen components prepared by EuroPrevall partners.
Phadia welcomes the improved understanding and diagnostic developments that this
project will bring about to the field of food allergy.
Assessment of allergen-specific sensitisation is an important part of the diagnostic
work-up in food allergy. Sensitisation to a particular allergen can be examined either
by in vitro measurement of specific IgE antibodies or by scoring the in vivo reaction
to the allergen in the skin. In the skin prick test, a small amount of extract of the
suspected problem food is introduced under the skin of the patient. In a sensitised
individual, the allergen will trigger an IgE-mediated release of histamine from reactive
cells which causes a localised skin response (wheal) that can be measured to record
the intensity of the reaction. This part of the work of EuroPrevall has been supported
by ALK-Abello. They have provided the project with a panel of skin prick test
diagnostics for in vivo assessment of allergen specific sensitisation.
Through this collaboration ALK-Abello has been able to assess the diagnostic
performance characteristics of their skin prick test materials in a multicentre trial
spanning Europe, from Iceland to Athens.
A novel way of assessing activity without skin prick testing is being developed by another
SME, RefLab, based in Denmark. Using their HR-Test system on stripped basophils they
have been evaluating the activity in the EuroPrevall allergen library. In addition they have
undertaken a validation of their HR-Test system in a ring trial (five European centres) using
hazelnut crude extract and recombinant Cor a 1 & 8. Participation in the project has also
allowed them to develop a new reader (Histareader 501) for the HR-Test system.
Reflab expects that the research and development invested in EuroPrevall will support
future development of both their technological platform and their marketing position
within the field of food allergy diagnosis.
A related issue is analysis of allergens in foods. The Europrevall project has enabled
Tepnel to interact with many partners that otherwise would not have crossed their path as
an SME. Links have been established with several distinguished research institutions,
which have led to the development of allergen detection services that have been utilised
both in and outside of EuroPrevall. In the long term, commercial products will also be
developed based on these methods. The achievement of these goals would have been
difficult, if not impossible, without the exceptional network that is EuroPrevall.
EuroPrevall position paper: Asero, R. et al.
(2007) IgE-mediated food allergy diagnosis:
current status and new perspectives. Molecular
Nutrition & Food Research 51(1)135-47
Contact: Clare Mills
Popular apple variety
harbours cells in an unexpected place
IFR scientist Mary Parker has discovered clumps of previously unreported “callus hairs”
in Fuji apples and their relatives, with storage implications for commercial growers.
She used light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to reveal a mass of small,
elongated and branched cells in air cavities between cells. She named them callus hairs
because of their resemblance to the hair-like callus cells which develop around seeds in
some apples. The reason these hairs have not been spotted before is probably because
they are only prominent when seen in 3D.
 |
| Viewed by UV light: chlorophyll autofluoresces red, vacuole
contents blue |
Callus hairs could account for the susceptibility of late-harvested Fuji apples to internal
browning. Unrestricted gas flow through the
fruit is vital for successful long-term storage
of apples. Callus hair growth, with its own
oxygen requirement and carbon dioxide
output, may reduce the efficiency of gas
transport through the spaces between cells.
With this new knowledge, breeders could pick
parent varieties with all the positive traits of
Fuji apples but with less developed callus
hairs.
The discovery could have implications for
understanding allergenicity, phytonutrient
bioavailability, and the physiological disorder
bitter pit. Further investigation is needed.
Callus hairs could also be used to test the
authenticity of dried apples labelled as ‘Fuji’.
Publication: M. L. Parker & W. Guerra (2007) Occurrence and implications for postharvest quality of intercellular callus
hair growth in the outer cortex of apples of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Fuji’ sports. Postharvest Biology & Technology
48 192-198
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant
Contact: Mary Parker
Microarrays - are observed differences significant?
The goal of IFR scientists Carmen Pin and Mark Reuter was to develop a robust
method for analysing microarray expression profiles. ArrayLeaRNA is a new
approach to the analysis of microarray hybridisation data derived from gene
expression profile studies. ArrayLeaRNA introduces a Bayesian model based on the
Gumble distribution, in combination with printed genomic DNA controls and
predicted operon information.
Genomic controls printed on the array are used to normalise the dataset and solve
the Bayesian model.
The predicted operon structure helps the classification of genes with low confidence
measurements.
ArrayLeaRNA is a freely-available user-friendly Excel add-in written in Visual Basic
(Microsoft Excel 97 or above is required). ArrayLeaRNA is part of the system used
in-house at IFR to analyse microarray hybridisation data.
Weblink: http://www.ifr.ac.uk/safety/arraylearna/
Publication: C. Pin & M. Reuter (2007) Use of genomic DNA control features and predicted operon
structure in microarray data analysis: ArrayLeaRNA – a Bayesian approach. BMC Bioinformatics 8 455-469
doi:10.1186/1471-2105/8/455
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant
Contact: Carmen Pin
Collaboration 'down - under'
Dietary flavonoids are thought to have
health benefits, possibly due to their
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties. As part of our programme of
research in this field, Paul Kroon is co-recipient
of a newly-awarded Australian
National Health & Medical Research
Council project grant on the influence of
flavonoid structure and function on
cardiovascular protection. This
AU$550,000 award with the University of
Western Australia will facilitate further
collaboration with its School of Medicine
and Pharmacology, and of Biomedical,
Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences.
 |
| PhD student Carol Connor worked at IFR on adhesion
molecule expression |
In a paper published in Biochemical
Pharmacology the team have already
shown that structural modification of
flavonoids by metabolic transformation
affects biological activity. Many previous in
vitro studies examining the bioactivity of
flavonoids have failed to consider the
effects of metabolic transformation.
The UK:Australia researchers examined
the effect of quercetin and its major
metabolites on the production of pro-inflammatory
eicosanoids by human
leukocytes, and found that structural
modification of quercetin due to metabolic
transformation had a profound effect on
bioactivity, and that the structural features
required for antioxidant activity of
quercetin and related flavonoids were
unrelated to those required for inhibition of
inflammatory eicosanoids.
In related work on flavonoids, in
collaboration with the Universidad
Complutense de Madrid and the Centre
for Integrated Systems Biology and
Medicine at Nottingham, Paul Kroon and
colleagues have shown for the first time
that conjugates of quercetin which are
typically present in human plasma
following a quercetin-rich meal retain an
ability, at physiologically-achievable
concentrations, to inhibit inflammationinduced
increases in the expression of the
vascular endothelial CAMs and
chemokines that are intimately involved in
atherosclerosis.
Publication: W. M. Loke et al. (2008)
Metabolic transformation has a profound effect
on anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids such
as quercetin: dissociation between antioxidant
and lioxygenase inhibitory activity. Biochemical
Pharmacology 75 (5):1045-53.
Funding: National Heart Foundation of
Australia and BBSRC Core Strategic Grant
Publication: S. Tribolo et al. (2008)
Comparative effects of quercetin and its
predominant human metabolites on adhesion
molecule expression in activated human vascular
endothelial cells. Atherosclerosis 197(1) 50-56
Funding: A BBSRC Responsive Mode Grant,
BBSRC Core Strategic Grant and a BBSRC
Research Committee Studentship
News from European Technology Platform
‘Food for Life’
The most recent activity in the ETP was a Food/Pharma Workshop on ‘What
are the opportunities for food-pharma collaboration?’. The workshop was
organised by the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in conjunction with the ETP within
the framework of the EU Specific Support Action Food4Life and the Irish National
Food Platform linked to the ETP. 110 people attended and workshop presentations
and the proceedings will be available online in due course.
ETP website: http://etp.ciaa.be
Staying Alive - how Salmonella resists killing by nitric oxide
One of the secrets of the success of
Salmonella is the ability to resist the host
defence factors which kill most bacteria.
One of these factors is nitric oxide (NO),
which is produced by human cells such as
macrophages. A collaboration between Jay
Hinton’s group and David Richardson’s lab
(UEA Biological Sciences) has just resulted
in a paper describing the systems used by
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to
detoxify nitric oxide.
The research was funded via a BBSRC
studentship ( jointly supervised by UEA and
IFR). The Richardson lab provided expertise
in microbial biochemistry and anaerobic
metabolism; Hinton’s team provided skills in
functional genomics and Salmonella biology.
The findings explain that Salmonella uses
two different systems to survive the
onslaught of NO stress under anaerobic
conditions, and either of these are sufficient
for the bacteria to grow in the presence of
NO. However, when both systems were
inactivated, Salmonella became sensitive to
NO.
The next stage in this work will be to
determine the importance of these NO
detoxification systems in the ability of
Salmonella to colonise the mammalian
gastrointestinal tract.
The project is now being taken forward
by a PhD studentship that was
awarded by the Norwich Research Park
to Jay Hinton and David Richardson.
Karen Prior joined IFR in October 2007
after graduating in Biomedicine at
UEA. This work is a good example of
the added value of scientific
collaborations within the Research
Park. Karen, who is co-supervised by
Isabelle Hautefort, comments “Having
worked for almost 20 years in
insurance, I decided on a complete
career change. I studied with the Open
University for 3 years, then went to
UEA. I always wanted to do research,
and now I am achieving my ambition!
Being an NRP student enhances my
PhD, because I am working with IFR
and UEA scientists who are leading
experts in this field.”
Publication: P. C. Mills et al. (2008) A combination of cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA) and
flavorubredoxin (NorV) protects Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium against killing by NO in anoxic
environments. Microbiology 154: 1218-1228
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant, BBSRC Research Studentship
Contact: Jay Hinton
Salmonella - sabotages human cells and
then prepares an escape route
Salmonella gastroenteritis involves
infection of the epithelial cells that line
the gut wall of humans. Until now, we
knew little about the stresses
experienced by Salmonella inside
epithelial cells, or the strategies used by
Salmonella to multiply inside these
epithelial cells.
Jay Hinton's group has discovered all the
genes that Salmonella enterica serovar
Typhimurium switches on and off during
infection of human epithelial cells, defining
its characteristic intracellular
transcriptomic signature. The infection
process culminates in epithelial cell death,
which makes Salmonella react in a unique
way. Researcher Isabelle Hautefort showed
that Salmonella activates all three of its
virulence associated protein secretion
machines once the host cells began to die.
It appears that the pathogen may be
sensing the imminent death of the host
epithelial cells. This unprecedented
pattern of protein secretion is likely to
contribute to the ability of Salmonella to
escape from epithelial cells and to cause
infection elsewhere in the body.
The team have built up a large collection
of functional genomic data that may help
to explain some of the worst symptoms
that Salmonella infection causes in
humans. This new understanding about
the process of epithelial cell infection
could lead to the treatment of symptoms
in a new way by therapeutic targeting of
epithelial cells that contain the bacteria.
The project benefited from a
prestigious fellowship from the
Swedish STINT organisation, which
funds annual research visits to IFR by
Prof Mikael Rhen of the Karolinska
Institute.
Publication: I. Hautefort et al. (2008)
During infection of epithelial cells Salmonella
enterica serovar Typhimurium undergoes a timedependent
transcriptional adaptation that results in
simultaneous expression of three type 3 secretion
systems. Cellular Microbiology doi: 10.1111/j.
1462-5822.2007.01099.x (in press)
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant, STINT, VR,
Cancerfonden and DEFRA VTRI VT104
Contact: Jay Hinton and
Isabelle Hautefort
Flavin production vital for
Campylobacter infection
Gut-colonising bacteria need to continuously acquire nutrients such as iron but it is a
highly competitive environment. Understanding how pathogens such as
Campylobacter compete for iron with the local microbiota may help in understanding
why they are so successful.
Researchers at IFR and collaborators in Sheffield, UK have investigated the
riboflavin synthesis pathway of Campylobacter jejuni, and showed that
Campylobacter has a ferric reduction system, and can use this for iron uptake. They
created a modified C. jejuni which requires supplementation with external riboflavin
in order to grow, and showed that this strain was only poorly able to acquire iron
from the environment. The ability to carry out ferric reduction could allow for the
generation of soluble iron that can be directly acquired and used by C. jejuni,
contributing to its optimal metabolism during infection.
Publication: R. A. Crossley et al. (2007) Riboflavin biosynthesis is associated with assimilatory ferric
reduction and iron acquisition by Campylobacter jejuni. Applied & Environmental Microbiology 73 7819–7825
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant and a BBSRC PhD Studentship
Proteases contribute
to virulence
Researchers from IFR and the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark have investigated the role of two proteolytic systems, Lon and Clp, in
Campylobacter. In strains deficient in either Lon and the ClpP subunit, or missing
both activities, growth was unaffected at mammalian body temperature (37 ºC) but
at the higher avian gut temperature the growth of the clpP mutant was severely
impaired; loss of both systems prevented growth indicating their importance for
growth at higher temperatures. The study also showed the build up of aggregated
proteins within the double mutant at 37 ºC, suggesting that both ClpP and Lon
participate in the removal of non-native proteins. Further characterisation revealed other altered phenotypes, such as reduced motility, less autoagglutination, and lower levels of invasion of epithelial cells, so these proteases undoubtedly contribute to the virulence of C. jejuni.
Publication: M.T. Cohn et al. (2007) Contribution of conserved ATP-dependent proteases of
Campylobacter jejuni to stress tolerance and virulence. Applied & Environmental Microbiology 73 7803–7813
Funding: BBSRC Core Strategic Grant, EU Marie Curie Training Fund.
Further information: www.ifr.ac.uk/Campylobacter/
Contact: Arnoud van Vliet
IFR science underpins safety
advice to industry
Mike Peck, Sandra Stringer and colleagues from IFR, the Chilled Food Association and Campden &
Chorleywood Food Research Association have reviewed the potential for growth and
toxin formation by non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum, a dangerous foodborne
pathogen, in short shelf-life (≤ 10 days) commercial chilled foods. The data show
that large quantities of these foods have been sold without causing foodborne
botulism. However, non-proteolytic C. botulinum can grow and form toxin in ≤ 10
days at ≤ 8°C in foods/food materials in laboratory tests. This paradox indicates
that the safety of some chilled foods may rely on one or more “unquantified
controlling factors”. Better understanding of the magnitude and variability of the
controlling factors associated with different types of foods would aid continued safe
development of commercial foods designed to be stored chilled.
We presented our finding to the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of
Foods, who used them as the basis for their recommendation that in the absence of
other controlling factors for C. botulinum, foods could be stored for 10 days at 8°C.
Publication: M. Peck et al. (2008) Assessment of the potential for growth and neurotoxin formation by
non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in short shelf-life commercial foods designed to be stored chilled.
Trends in Food Science & Technology (www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09242244 doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2007.12.006)
Funding: Food Standards Agency
Contact: Mike Peck
IFR expertise provides WHO and IUFoST guidance
Vic Morris has recently provided the text which has been used to formulate the World
Health Organization’s International Food Safety Authorities network (INFOSAN)
information note 1/2008 on nanotechnology. INFOSAN, which currently includes 166
member states, serves as a vehicle for food safety authorities and other relevant agencies
to exchange food safety information and to improve collaboration among food safety
authorities at both the national and international level.
The INFOSAN Information Note is available publicly on the INFOSAN Information
Note archive http://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/infosan_archives/en He has also authored the International Union of Food Science and Technology
(IUFoST) Scientific Information Bulletin paper on nanotechnology and food,
published in December 2007 at
http://www.iufost.org/reports_resources/bulletins/documents/IUF.SIB.Nanotechnology.pdf
NetSci 08
József Baranyi and Research Park colleagues are hosting an International Workshop
and Conference on Network Science, NetSci 08, on June 23-27th. Network theory
has far reaching applications in a wide range of disciplines: social science, economy,
life science, computer science, etc. The conference promises to be a major
international scientific event with invited speakers such as Sir Robert May, former
UK Chief Scientist, Professor Albert-László Barabási, author of the popular book
Linked along with other world-renowned experts on complex systems.
More information at www.ifr.ac.uk/netsci08/
In Issue 3:07 of Science+Innovation, we
reported how scientists at IFR had
inferred from their latest research that,
contrary to accepted wisdom, folic acid
may be absorbed intact in humans and
would have to be metabolised by the liver, rather than being metabolised in the gut
in a similar way to naturally-occurring
folates. A research proposal on the topic
from Paul Finglas captured the interest
of BBSRC, and he will lead a new, 3-year
multi-centre study to investigate the initial
site of its biotransformation in humans.
Nigel Belshaw is being supported by
BBSRC and cancer charity ‘Big C’ to
explore epigenetic modulation of WNT
signalling in the ageing human intestinal
epithelium and consequences for tissue
homeostasis (jointly with collaborators at
the University of East Anglia)
and the anticarcinogenic properties of apple
procyanidins in the oesophagus and
effects on the MAPK signalling pathways.
Arthur Thompson and Jay Hinton have recently demonstrated that the bacterial signal molecule, ppGpp,
mediates the expression of the Salmonella virulence gene expression programmes.
In their new BBSRC-funded project they
aim to define the Salmonella ppGpp dependent
expression programmes in
more detail. Since ppGpp is present in
nearly all bacteria, the project also
describes a novel system for defining
virulence gene expression networks that
will be applicable to many other bacterial
pathogens.
The UK Food Standards Agency continues
to support Simon Kelly’s work on
confirmation of origin – this time with
funding to support research to confirm the
origin of British beef using multi-isotope
and multi-element analysis.
Mike Gasson has won a BBSRC Follow-on Fund grant to develop a unique
biological system for the release of native
or heterologous proteins from viable
Lactococcus cells. If successful, it will be
of immense value for medical applications,
and applicable to products and processes
in the food and industrial fermentation
industries.
EU funds ‘healthy structuring’
In the ‘Healthy Structuring’ STREP project, scientists across Europe aim to improve the
nutritional and structural quality of ready to eat fruit and vegetable products (in particular,
ready-meals containing tomatoes, carrots and broccoli). The approach involves using new
and innovative technologies and optimal mixtures of raw materials. It focuses on optimising
processing to increase the bioavailability of important micronutrients, whilst ensuring the
minimisation of microbiological risk and the retention or introduction of consumer-preferred
textural properties.
At IFR, we are involved in aspects concerning plant cell wall
characterisation (assessed through physical, chemical and biochemical analysis) to identify
the processing suitability of raw materials as influenced by variety and agronomic
conditions; and the spatial distribution of microorganisms. This latter area is a particularly
novel aspect of the research, in that it aims to understand the effect of varying spatial
distribution of bacteria on their inactivation during processing. We will measure the effects
of form of growth of bacteria (either as individual cells on surfaces, cells within vegetable
tissue or cells in micro-colonies) on their inactivation kinetics during processing.
Contact: Elizabeth Saggers and Tim Brocklehurst
Chinese links develop
 |
Pradeep Malakar (second right) with other members of the UK delegation - YongPing Bao from UEA, Norwich
Medical School and Samuel Mitchell from the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute in Belfast, Northern Ireland
and the Mayor of Shanghai |
Pradeep Malakar recently visited China at
the invitation of the Shanghai Academy of
Agricultural Science (SAAS) to discuss
possible collaborative research between
the IFR and SAAS on quantitative
microbial risk assessment. This visit also
coincided with the Food Safety and Public
Policy International seminar in Shanghai,
where Pradeep gave an invited lecture on
quantitative assessments of foodborne
hazards. The meeting was organised by
the Shanghai Food and Drug
Administration to highlight and discuss
current food safety issues in China.
In February 2008 we were informed that
IFR’s application to the BBSRC China
Partnering Award scheme on ‘Molecular
epidemiology of Clostridium spp in
China: risk of neurotoxin
production in food’ was
successful, funding which will
underpin further collaboration
with scientists from
Shanghai, Beijing and
Yangzao and is a direct
result of the visit of
Zengtao Xing from
SAAS to IFR last
summer.
Arjan Narbad has been appointed as one
of ten international experts to set up
collaboration with the School of Food
Science and Technology at Jiangnan
University located in the city of Wuxi,
about 160km from Shanghai, one of
China’s national key universities in the
“211 Project”.
It hosts the National Key
Lab of Food Science and Technology,
approved by the Ministry of Science &
Technology, and the only one of its kind in
China. This initiative is part of a 5 year
programme ‘introducing talents to
University’ and the theme supported at
Jiangnan University is ‘Food Nutrition,
Health and Safety’. He also gave a
presentation at the recent 7th ICFST
(International Conference on Food
Science & Technology) hosted
by Jiangnan.
Microbiome and Metabolism
In this new science programme our aim is to understand the evolution, diversification,
complexity and function of the gut microbiome. The human microbiome and metagenomics
are key areas of food and human health-related research priorities.
Large metagenomic datasets are being generated by the recently initiated NIH-funded
Human Microbiome Project in the USA, which includes the sequencing of 1000 specific
human microbiome species. Even the genes of core metabolism are often uncharacterised
and frequently misannotated. We will address biochemical function in key core metabolic
pathways. Initial targets will include polyamine and carbohydrate metabolism.
Tony Michael’s group is investigating the diversity of
biosynthetic metabolic strategies used in prokaryotic and
eukaryotic organisms. They are interested in the origin of
metabolic pathways, the origin of metabolic novelty, gene
discovery, the evolution of new enzymatic function in protein
superfamilies, recruitment of primary metabolic enzymes and
metabolites to secondary metabolism, and the effects of
metabolic subversion on cellular physiology. They collaborate
extensively across the Norwich Research Park and with the
USA and Japan. They have recently discovered entirely different
metabolic strategies for synthesising the same metabolites in
the different phyla of the gut microbiome and in different foodborne
pathogens.
Nathalie Juge and her newly established team will build on their
strengths in the structure/function study of carbohydrate-active
enzymes to explore the diversity of the glycobiome in gut
bacteria species using bioinformatics, molecular approaches and
enzymology. They will focus on the degradation of complex polysaccharides and
polyphenolic substances by human gut glycoside hydrolases. As part of a collaborative
project on the Norwich Research Park they will be investigating the molecular
determinants involved in the protein-carbohydrate interaction between gut bacteria and
mucin. These activities will enable integration of their research with gut microbiology, gut
immunology and intestinal epithelial physiology.
Out and about
Martin Wickham (Leader of the
Model Gut Platform) was recently
invited to speak at the Annual
Pharmaceutical Society meeting in the
USA and at the ILSI North America
Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico - more
evidence of the international interest in
this technology.
Frederica Lodi won a ‘Young
Investigator’ award at the 3rd
International Conference on Polyphenols
and Health in Kyoto, for her presentation
‘Protective effects of quercetin and its
human conjugated metabolites on
cardiovascular disease’.
Clare Mills gave an invited plenary at
the symposium on food allergy at the
20th World Allergy Congress in
Bangkok.
On-site
Well -known
cookery writer Delia Smith was a recent
visitor to IFR,
investigating
aspects of
ingredients
listings (allergy
and additives)
for her BBC 2
TV series
‘Delia’
Lydia Watson (daughter of IFR
mathematician Andrew Watson) found out
more about life
in science
during her daylong
visit to
IFR as part of
the UK’s ‘Take
our daughters
to work
campaign’.
Enzymes in grain processing
The 5th European Symposium on Enzymes in Grain Processing takes place in
Norwich, 31 March- 2 April 2008. The programme covers
plant ‘-omics’ to bioenergy to health and functional
ingredients, with presentations from academic and industrial
speakers on:
- Tools to elucidate plant structure: enzymatic
fingerprinting, enzymes as synthetic tools, wheat quality
attributes and altered starch barley cultivars
- Cereal proteins, enzymes and inhibitors: barley
proteomics, storage protein degradation, thioredoxins and
xylanase inhibitors
- Structure-function relationship of microbial
enzymes: carbohydrate-binding modules, xylanase
structure, enzymatic tailoring of polysaccharide structure,
cell wall-acting esterases and amylases
- Current perspectives on the use of enzymes in baking,
brewing, wet milling, biomass processing, prebiotic
production, gluten-free products, calorie-free products and
overcoming lignin-carbohydrate interactions
For further details, see the conference web-site
www.ifr.ac.uk/esegp5 or contact the
conference secretariat esegp5@ifr.ac.uk.
CUE East
- Bridging the gap
The public will
soon be able to
play a more
interactive role in
the important
work of higher
education
institutions, thanks to a new £9.2M
initiative - Beacons for Public
Engagement.
UEA and partners, as CUE East
(Community University Engagement
East) will establish a one-stop shop for
the public, located in ‘The Forum’ in
Norwich alongside the UK’s most
successful regional library and the BBC’s
regional offices and studios. Their 22
partners include IFR and the John Innes
Centre who, together with the Teacher-
Scientist Network, will play a vital role in
their delivery programme and critical
thinking.
Their overall theme will be sustainable
living, with a priority target audience of
pupils, teachers and parents.
Providing safe food in healthcare settings
Many people in healthcare settings are particularly vulnerable to
infections, including foodborne diseases, because of their illness,
drug treatment, impaired immune response or age. In these
settings, standards for the microbiological safety of food need to
be more stringent than those for the general population, and
advice on safe foods is needed for vulnerable people in the
community.
Visiting scientist at IFR and formerly Head of
Microbiological Food Safety and Spoilage, Barbara Lund, has coedited
an important book which draws together the work of a
range of experts to cover this topic. It provides an account of the
salient features of foodborne pathogenic organisms, and of the
particular risks they pose to vulnerable groups; it discusses
surveillance and gives an account of factors that have led to outbreaks of foodborne
illness. Finally, it outlines important requirements for the provision of safe food in
healthcare settings. The book is suitable for physicians, doctors, staff responsible for
control of infection, people responsible for catering management, microbiologists,
environmental health officers, food scientists and technologists.
Microbiological safety of food in healthcare settings edited by Lund, B. M. & Hunter, P. R.
(2008) Blackwell Publishing ISBN 978-1-4051-2220-7
Media interest sparks
vital research target
- State-of-the-art: avoidance is
the only treatment of food allergy
- Beyond state-of-the-art: towards recombinant,
allergen-based immunotherapy
The drive to establish the new EU
project ‘FAST’, and develop safe and
effective treatment of persistent and
severe allergy to fish and fruit, came
principally from the British Association
Festival of Science meeting in 2006 on
Norwich Research Park.
IFR’s Siân Astley had organised a
meeting around the issue of food
allergy; and it was the enormous
interest from media and public on the
day that galvanised a multi-country
team of researchers into developing a
project to test the hypothesis that
subcutaneous and/or sublingual
administration of recombinant hypoallergens
will induce an antiinflammatory
immune response
characterised by allergen-specific
regulatory T-cells and IgG4 and IgA
antibodies. IFR’s Sean Hanniffy and
Clare Mills are involved in the new
project.
