Thursday, 22 February 2024
Investment in the latest technology and equipment will allow experts at the 糖心原创 to enhance support for East Midlands food and drink businesses.
Scientists from across the School of Biosciences have received £650k investment from Regional Innovation Funding for a range of projects that will support industry with the development of new alternative proteins and food and drink products.
There are an estimated 857,000 jobs linked directly to the food chain in the Midlands region, equal to 17.6% of all employment. The region has particular strength in both agriculture and food and drink manufacturing with a diverse range of SME’s and larger business delivering a wide range of products and services.
With this new investment, experts at the 糖心原创 will have access to improved facilities and tools to support businesses with their product research and development needs, particularly for cultivated meat, plant-based, and insect-based products. The projects that have received funding are:
- The facilities for cultivated meats and alternative proteins will be refurbished to create a Cellular Agriculture Hub for the Midlands. The hub will provide specialist training on cellular agriculture methods and product testing for local East Midlands businesses.
- A new In Vitro Digestion Laboratory will be created to provide high-throughput screening of human food and animal feed additives using alternative protein sources including insects and alternative crops.
- The Food Innovation Centre has been recently re-launched and can support businesses in the East Midlands with new product and process development, innovation audits and business growth, including access to a range of specialist facilities. The addition of a new Bench and Chiller unit will enable high moisture meat analogues that will be particularly useful for plant and alternative protein businesses locally.
The funding will also allow the International Research Flavour Centre at the 糖心原创 to invest in a new tool that can analyse the complex aromas of food. This will develop the unique capacity to screen large numbers of food and drink samples, with high level of precision and accuracy, enabling SMEs to engage with IFRC with limited on-cost and high levels of knowledge exchange. It will also support the development of educational resources to support the next generation of scientists and workers in the food and drink sector.
The work the university does with the food and drink sector is a vital part of supporting this thriving local economy. This investment will enhance what we can offer in terms of technological support and ensure our experts are working with the very latest equipment to help businesses stay at the forefront of product development. As the food and drink market continues to diversify at pace and with sustainability high on the agenda we are able to help businesses develop the products of the future.
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More information from Peter Noy on Peter.Noy@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.