Science An introduction AARHUS UNIVERSITY 2013 fooD DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE.

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An introduction

AARHUSUNIVERSITY 2013

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DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

About this presentation…› PurposeThe purpose of this presentation is to introduce FOOD to stakeholders with limited or no knowledge of AU or FOOD – students, scientists, companies, politicians etc. Hence, its content is of a general nature.

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AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

›Her indsættes slide med Europakort og en cirkel omkring DK

Aarhus University in Denmark - In the heart of Europe

Aarhus

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Aarhus University - some facts

› Established in 1928› 4 faculties: Arts, Business & Social Sciences, Health, and

Science & Technology › 26 departments› 2 national centres: The Danish Centre for Agriculture and Food

and The Danish Centre for Environment and Energy› 11,000 staff (incl. PhD students)› 40,500 students - majority on graduate level

› Budget (2012) € 825 million

› Receives 25% of public research funding in Denmark.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Faculty of Science & TechnologyDean: Niels Christian Nielsen

The Faculty comprises:

› 12 departments

› 2 national centres

› 1,740 scientific staff

› 700 PhD students

› 6,700 full degree students.

Dean: Niels Christian Nielsen

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Department of Food Science(April 2013)

Head of Department: Michelle Williams

The Department comprises:

› 5 science teams

› 40 scientific staff

› 24 PhD students

› 41 technical and administrative staff*.

*The number of gardeners employed varies with the seasons.Head of Department: Michelle Williams

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Organisation

Department of Food Science is part of: › Faculty of Science & Technology, Aarhus University › Danish National Centre for Food and Agriculture (DCA), Aarhus

University

Head of Department:

Michelle Williams

Science team:

Plant, Food & Sustainablity

Team leader:Hanne

Lakkenborg Kristensen

Science team:

Plant, Food & Climate

Team leader:Karen Koefoed

Petersen

Science team:

Differentiated &

Biofunctional Foods

Team leader:Jette Feveile

Young

Science team: Food

Chemistry & Technology

Team leader:Lotte Bach

Larsen

Science team:

Metabolomics & Sensory Science

Team leader:Derek V. Byrne

Dept. SecretariatSecretariat leader:

Aase Sorensen

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Locations

Foulum

Aarhus Campus

Aarslev

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Department of Food Science revenue (%)

63.48

2.52

9.17

20.244.6

External fund-ing

Sale of crops

Consultancies

AU Basic fund-ing

Education

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

10

43

53

47

2

ConsultanciesAU Basic fundingEducationExternal fundingSale of crops

October 2012

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Activities at Department of Food Science› Food research in the entire chain:

Genetic resourcesProduction parametersProcessing and storageInfluence on human healthConsumer preferences

› Research-based teaching: PhD coursesThe master degree programme: Molecular Nutrition and

Food Technology and other master’s and bachelor’s degree programmes at Aarhus University

› Consultancy: to public authorities and ministries.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Food expertise from genes to consumers

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Global food challenges› Sustainable food production systems

› Food security due to climate and population changes

› Sustainable use of pesticides, water and nutrients

› Increase quality to meet consumer expectations and to remain competitive

› Need for differentiated food products that meet consumer demands and deliver health and wellbeing benefits

› Need for new technologies to improve food production systems and to develop new food products.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Outcome of our research:› Increased efficiency of food production systems and reduced impact on

the environment.

› Securing productivity and quality of our food crops during times of extreme climate conditions.

› Sustainable solutions to feeding the growing world population in 2050.

› Development of value-added products, delivering qua-lity and novelty to consumers and new product formatsto reduce losses.

› Increased consumption of healthy foods through deli-vering superior taste, health and wellbeing solutions.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Partners of collaboration

AU FOO

D

Danish and foreign

universities

Aarhus University partners

Companies

EU

Authorities

Hospitals

Industry association

s

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Why research collaboration?

› Access to the latest knowledge within food science

› An opportunity to create knowledge and innovative solutions together with leading scientists

› Access to unique research facilities

› Strong national and international networks

› Highly experienced staff within project management and participation.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Types of research collaborations

› Co-financed projects

› Requested research

› Industrial PhD

› Industrial Postdoc

› Master student projects.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Science team: Plant, Food & SustainabilityResearch focuses on new solutions and technologies in organic and conventional cropping systems that:› Increase efficiency› Ensure the quality of plant food products› Reduce the environmental impact of plant

food production.

Outcome of the researchIncreased efficiency of plant food production systems and reduced impact on the environment.

Science team leader: Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen Site: AU Aarslev

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Plant, Food & Sustainability

Key areas are:› Physiological processes of plants both above

and below ground› Cultivation techniques› Flowering and growth physiology › Reduction of waste in relation to harvest and

storage› Nutrient losses› Irrigation› Pesticides and other methods of pest

management› Healthy crop rotations with fertility building

crops.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Science team: Plant, Food & ClimateResearch focuses on how to safeguard future productivity and quality in plant production. This includes plant responses to:› Climate and climate changes› New methods for resource optimisation in

protected plant food production.

Outcome of the research:Securing productivity and quality of food crops into the future during times of extremes in climate.

Science team leader: Karen Koefoed PetersenSite: AU Aarslev

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Plant, Food & ClimateKey areas are:› Plant responses and the genetic ability of

plants to acclimatise and adapt to climatic conditions:

- Temperature extremes- Cold hardiness- Carbon dioxide- Light- Drought and flooding.

› Plant tolerance to high or low temperatures with regard to energy consumption

› Product quality in greenhouse production.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Science team: Differentiated & Biofunctional Foods

The research focuses on improving raw product quality regarding health aspects and/or suitability for further processing by: › Adding new positive features to well-known

products› Developing new types of food products and/or

production methods and concepts.

Outcome of the research:Increased diversity of raw products for consumers and industry based on new production methods.

Science team leader: Jette Feveile YoungSite: AU Foulum and AU Aarslev

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Differentiated & Biofunctional FoodsKey areas are:› Exploitation of alternative and sustainable

production systems to differentiate the raw product.

› Evaluation of product quality parameters such as:

- Bioactive and nutritionally important constituents (cell-based assays)- Taste components and colour- Technical quality like texture and shelf

life

› New ways to produce food such as vertical farming systems and in vitro meat.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Science team: Food Chemistry & TechnologyResearch areas:Food quality and changes in quality parameters related to genetics, production, processing, packaging and storage of foods, especially in relation to dairy and egg products.

Outcome of the research:Development of value-added products, delivering quality and novelty to consumers and new product formats to reduce losses.

Science team leader: Lotte Bach LarsenSite: AU Foulum

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Food Chemistry & TechnologyDairy research activities focus on the characterization of milk as a raw material and changes induced by processing:› Proteolysis, proteomics and peptidomics› Structure and functionality of protein and lipid

networks› Oxidative stability › Health promoting and bioactive compounds.

Egg quality research: › Production parameters - feed, hen genotype

and production period› Storage conditions and processing of egg

products.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Research:Food quality and health aspects of foods:› Metabolomic studies of foods and biofluids

after food intake› Sensory perception of foods and consumer

preferences › Specific focus on plant food quality and post

harvest quality.

Outcome of the research:Increased consumption of healthy foods through delivering superior taste, health and wellbeing solutions.

Science team leader: Derek V. ByrneSite: AU Aarslev

Science team: Food. Metabolomics & Sensory Science

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Food, Metabolomics & Sensory Science LC-MS and NMR Metabolomic activities focus on characterization of metabolites in:› Foods to understand sensory and technological quality aspects › Biofluids to elucidate the effect of food intake in relation to

health.

Sensory Science research activities focus on:› Perception and measurement of sensory attributes in foods to

increase the understanding of factors affecting sensory quality of foods

› Consumer acceptance and preferences for food.

Postharvest activities focus on increasing quality and freshness of plant foods by elucidating the effect of storage conditions and metabolite profiling.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Research facilities at Aarslev

› 100 ha fruit orchards and vegetable fields› 16 ha organic fruit orchards and vegetable

fields› Fields holding plant genetic resources

(hobs, rubarb, Jerusalem artichoke, horseradish)

› Specialised equipment for horticultural production

› Storage and post harvest facilities for vegetables and fruit (incl. ULO cells)

› Greenhouses› Climate chambers› Sensory science facilities› Low field and High field NMR facilities

(600MHz)› Specialised laboratories for genetic

transformation of plants.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Research facilities at Foulum› Analytical chemistry laboratories› Texture analysis facilities› Dairy plant› Equipment for mass spectrometry (GC-MS,

LC-MS, Maldi-ToF, LC-MS iontrap)› Differential scanning-calorimeter› Confocal microscopy› Rheorox› 1- and 2D gels› Equipment for electron spin resonance

spectroscopy and ultrasound treatments› In vitro laboratories › Access to stable facilities for cattle, pigs

and poultry.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

PhD programme: Food Science

Vision and objective of the PhD Education:› PhD degrees at the highest international

level› Dedicated PhD students and supervisors› Fine working environment› Offer scientific PhD courses in the food

area.

Build up your network while making a PhD:Research in food science at Department of Food Science often takes place in close cooperation with leading food, crop and biotechnology companies beside internationally acknowledged universities and research centres.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

A PhD within food science at Aarhus University (AU)

PhD students from:Aarhus UniversityOther Danish UniversitiesInternational Universities

PhD programme:Food Science

Future careers: Danish or international universities Industry Teaching and knowledge dissemination

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Molecular Nutrition and Food TechnologyA research-based M.Sc. programeThe programme gives an understanding of:› The interplay between food product

quality and human health

› Modern processing methods and their influence on food product properties

› Molecular biological knowledge

› The intersection between food technology, nutrition and food-related health.

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

Master projects › It is possible to write your Master’s thesis

at Department of Food Science, also if you have the first part of your Master’s degree from another educational institution.

› The projects are often carried out in collaboration with industrial partners.

› We have created a project catalogue with ideas for Master’s theses, but you are also welcome to contact us with your own idea. Find the project catalogue at:

www.food.au.dk/en/food_education

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

M.Sc. Career direction in foodBachelor’s degrees that give admission:- Molecular Biology - Molecular Medicine- Scientific, agricultural, medical-scientific or technical-scientific bachelor’s degree with a molecular biological content at a minimum of 60 ECTS

Master’s Degree

programme: Molecular

Nutrition and Food

Technology

Employment:- Teaching- PhD education- Dietary advice- Consultant- Project management, product development, and research in private companies

AARHUSUNIVERSITY

2013

CONTACT…

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.food.au.dk