FoodOmicsGR_RI: A Consortium for Comprehensive Molecular Characterisation of Food Products

Abstract

The national infrastructure FoodOmicsGR_RI coordinates research efforts from eight Greek Universities and Research Centers in a network aiming to support research and development (R&D) in the agri-food sector. The goals of FoodOmicsGR_RI are the comprehensive in-depth characterization of foods using cutting-edge omics technologies and the support of dietary/nutrition studies. The network combines strong omics expertise with expert field/application scientists (food/nutrition sciences, plant protection/plant growth, animal husbandry, apiculture and 10 other fields). Human resources involve more than 60 staff scientists and more than 30 recruits. State-of-the-art technologies and instrumentation is available for the comprehensive mapping of the food composition and available genetic resources, the assessment of the distinct value of foods, and the effect of nutritional intervention on the metabolic profile of biological samples of consumers and animal models. The consortium has the know-how and expertise that covers the breadth of the Greek agri-food sector. Metabolomics teams have developed and implemented a variety of methods for profiling and quantitative analysis. The implementation plan includes the following research axes: development of a detailed database of Greek food constituents; exploitation of “omics” technologies to assess domestic agricultural biodiversity aiding authenticity-traceability control/certification of geographical/genetic origin; highlighting unique characteristics of Greek products with an emphasis on quality, sustainability and food safety; assessment of diet’s effect on health and well-being; creating added value from agri-food waste. FoodOmicsGR_RI develops new tools to evaluate the nutritional value of Greek foods, study the role of traditional foods and Greek functional foods in the prevention of chronic diseases and support health claims of Greek traditional products. FoodOmicsGR_RI provides access to state-of-the-art facilities, unique, well-characterised sample sets, obtained from precision/experimental farming/breeding (milk, honey, meat, olive oil and so forth) along with more than 20 complementary scientific disciplines. FoodOmicsGR_RI is open for collaboration with national and international stakeholders.

The 2022 Report on the Human Proteome from the HUPO Human Proteome Project

“…A collaborative manuscript from members of the Food and Nutrition (FAN) team, led by Paola Roncada, offered an overview of advanced methods available for studying food allergenic proteins, which include cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry and thermal proximity profiling among the mass spectrometry-based approaches . The FAN team is linked to other consortia of scientists that aim to promote the use of omics technologies within dietary and nutrition studies, such as the FoodOmicsGR_RI consortium . With a goal to understand plant survival and crop losses connected to high-temperature stress, the group of Subhra Chakraborty found a role for 2-Cys peroxiredoxin in wheat thermotolerance .…”

Trends in functional food development with three-dimensional (3D) food printing technology: prospects for value-added traditionally processed food products

“…This applicability could target better delivery of functional foods with novel and unique geometry structures containing essential nutrients and health-improving components. More importantly, detailed screening of potential traditionally processed-3D printed foods at the molecular level using omics approaches would provide interesting data to validate their rational promotion as attractive superfoods with distinct wellness values (Adebo et al 2021;Theodoridis et al, 2021).…”

Bee Products: A Representation of Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Health

“…Interestingly, the most recent work by Theodoridis et al [ 229 ] presented and described the FoodOmicsGR_RI state-of-the-art facilities, using the unique, well-characterized sample sets obtained from precision/experimental farming/breeding including honey, along with more than 20 complementary scientific disciplines, moving towards the importance of sharing and data accessibility [ 229 ]. On the other hand, the work of Iatridou et al [ 230 ] highlighted the importance of mapping the teaching of honeybee veterinary medicine in the European Union and European free trade area.…”