Prof. Murray Lark undertook the statistical modelling that made possible the first ever map of the rate of groundwater recharge across Africa. An international team of scientists from the British Geological Survey, UoN and universities in South Africa, Nigeria and the US collaborated to produce this stunning work, which is published in Environmental Research Letters.
The UoN's excellent press release provides a clear explanation of the project's aims, methods and results.
The Future Food Beacon's investment in the Future Proteins Platform (FFP) continues to bear fruit:
Dr. Molly Muleya has won a UoN GCRF grant to collaborate withLilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi on a project called 'Achieving a sustainable protein economy in Malawi’;
Noriane Cochetel joins the FPP to research the digestibility of novel protein sources as more sustainable animal/fish feed;
Combined innovations in public policy, the private sector and culture can drive sustainability transitions in food systems - Moberg et al (pending)
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS VIDEO SERIES!
We take great pleasure in presenting a brand new video series highlighting the work of the research platforms that the Future Food Beacon funds. The talented Assoc. Prof. Tristan Dew directed, recorded and edited these videos and we are extremely grateful to him!
We are delighted to celebrate Assoc. Prof. Anne Touboulic's achievement in publishing her first book, Sustainable Consumption, Production and Supply Chain Management! The book's authors come from incredibly diverse research backgrounds, making this a truly interdisciplinary publication, which is the way we like it at the Beacon!
Our amazing new Research engagement map is live! Get a visual perspective on the international reach of the Future Food Beacon's transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects!
The Food Innovation Centre (FIC) at the University Nottingham recently advised and supported Nottingham entrepreneur, Hamza Qureshi, to develop a new range of signature chicken seasonings for retail after his food service business took a hit during the lockdowns. Now his Bird Dust range is available via a webshop, Amazon and Ebay and more than 30 independent retailers across the UK and Eire. Find out how the FIC's food technologists helped with new product development here.
We are delighted to finally present our concise, colourful and engaging Annual Report 2020 for your enjoyment! The breadth of the transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on display is impressive and we hope that it inspires new, previously unthought of, collaborations.
Future Food News
SAVE THE DATES! - Future Food Beacon June Briefings at 10.30-12.30 on 15-17 June 2021
The Food Innovation Centre at the UoN is a partner in the Innovating Food for Seniors project, co-funded by the EU's Erasmus+ programme. The project aims to provide open source training for food SMEs to commercialise nutrient-enriched foods for the elderly.
Researchers have succeeded in developing a biosensor that has recorded how plant growth hormone gibberellin is distribution in plant roots. Dr Leah Band and Prof. Markus Owen of the UoN and Beacon developed a computational model that made this discovery possible. Their exciting interdisciplinary project is summarised in this press release and the full paper is available here.
We concluded our interview blog series with the 2nd cohort of joint UoN-Rothamsted PhD candidates with Chloe Sargent's fascinating exploration of how pesticides affect the flight of bumblebees, then Gavers Oppong's search for hardier forms of rice that can withstand flooding while they are germinating. Our latest blog is a double-length feature by Levi Yant about his amazing Baobab Genome Project!
An interview with Assoc. Prof. Nik Watson's on his heroic work preventing beer wastage using sensors, machine learning and cloud computing received plenty of interest online this month.
Dr Peter Noy of the Beacon has joined the GODAN working group on food poverty and the Beacon supports this important work in tackling hidden hunger, in developed countries and worldwide.
Interesting articles
Hannah Ford's blog about food waste is full of practical tips on how to tackle this persistent problem.
Phenom UK AGM - 13.00 on 24 March 2021; 09.30 on 25 March 2021
Food Environments: A Shared Understanding - 08.00-10.00 GMT on 30 March 2021. Join this exciting new initiative from our colleagues at the UoN Malaysia
Future Food Beacon seminar - The history of science and the future of food: two 'lessons' from the conservation of crop diversity by Dr Helen Anne Curry, University of Cambridge - 14.00 on 21 April 2021 on MS Teams
Multi-scale Assembly of Plant Biomacromolecules: Towards Healthy & Sustainable Foods presented by Gleb Yakubov, Assistant Professor in Food Composites - 21 April 2021 (UoN only via MS Teams, with apologies)
The history of science and the future of food: two lessons from the conservation of crop diversity - 14.00 on 21 April 2021 - UoN and external welcome on MS Teams
May
Shedding light on the architecture of crop yield by Alexandra Burgess - 19 May 2021 (UoN only via MS Teams, with apologies)
June
OFIC 20201 - Oils and Fats International Congress - 15-16 June 2021 at Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (or online if necessary, decision to be made in early May 2021)
To tell us your news, share conference registrations or abstract opportunities, as well as any food-related reading please email: Andrew Edwards (Ed), Acting Communications Officer for the Future Food Beacon
