Biotech Area
Nutrition and health
Scientific and technological services to agri-food, biotech and pharmaceutical companies
Our capabilities range from ingredient prospecting and food design to assessing its biological efficacy. We have extensive knowledge about the nature and function of ingredients in food products and processes.
We generate and apply in vitro and in vivo preclinical models of human metabolic diseases and disorders to evaluate nutritional or pharmacological interventions. We conduct nutritional interventions and health promotion studies endorsed by the Ethics Committee of the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virili (IISPV) in Reus in our own facilities.
We evaluate the safety of ingredients and food products by means of toxicity studies following official guidelines. These capabilities enable us to deliver all-inclusive service to agri-food and pharmaceutical businesses.
Lab services in Nutrition and Health
Research lines
Food science and technology
A joint venture with the Department of Food Technology at the University of Lleida enables us with accessibility to state-of-the-art facilities for designing, characterising and validating new ingredients and food products by tailoring them to current technologies and consumer preferences:
- Physiochemical and rheological ingredient and food characterisation.
- Analysing and developing new food formulations.
- Reformulating existing food products.
- Optimization of technological processes for the food industry.
- Food packaging and preservation studies.
- Shelf-life studies under normal and accelerated conditions.
- Sensory studies.
- Recovering by-products from the food industry.
Preclinical research in food, bioactive ingredients and nutraceuticals
We have a team with extensive scientific experience in developing and applying preclinical models in rodents and zebrafish. We have systems for cognitive, behavioural, metabolic and biometric analysis which we integrate with omic analysis for direct or holistic evaluation of the impact of nutritional and pharmacological interventions on health.
We conduct in vitro studies in cell cultures, ex-vivo systems and organoids for product screening, assessment of biological efficacy and description of molecular mechanisms. We carry out digestibility, bioaccessibility and bioavailability studies using in vitro and in vivo systems, including the fermentation of human gastrointestinal microbiota.
Preclinical in vitro and in vivo research (rodents) services:
- Development of models of specific human diseases.
- Microbiota transplant and humanisation.
- Osteoarticular and joint health research.
- Models of metabolic disorders (obesity, fatty liver, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, etc.).
- Perinatal, infant and breastfeeding health.
- Metabolic syndrome models.
- Models of food allergies and intolerances (gluten and celiac disease, ovalbumin, histamine, lactose).
- Research in immune system, inflammation and analgesia.
- Models of Neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.
- Studies of cognitive enhancement.
- Behavioural studies: depression, stress, anxiety.
- In vitro cosmetics and nutricosmetics research models.
Clinical research and studies in volunteers
We conduct nutritional intervention studies where our extensive experience in nutrition, metabolism and biochemistry is integrated with the analytical capabilities of our Centre for Omic Sciences:
- Randomised nutritional intervention studies.
- Research in validation of biosensors and diagnostic methods.
- Bioavailability and absorption kinetics of active ingredients.
- Biomarkers research.
- Studies on populations with risk factors (high blood pressure, joint discomfort, obesity, cholesterol, pre-diabetes, etc.).
- Nutricosmetics and skin health studies.
- Prospective studies.
- Health promotion in young people and healthy ageing.
- Focus groups and acceptability.
- Customised group and precision nutrition.
Microbiology, food safety and ecotoxicity
Our experience and expertise in microbiology enable us to analyse and characterise probiotics, including their safety by means of infectivity and translocation studies according to requirements of EFSA, FDA and other authorities.
This knowhow also enables us to conduct a range of protocols for assessing food safety and ecotoxicity.
- Probiotic research and characterisation.
- Probiotic infectivity and translocation.
- Evaluation of biocides on bacteria, fungi and yeasts.
- OECD 487: In Vitro Mammalian Cell Micronucleus Test (genotoxicity).
- OECD 471: Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test (mutagenicity).
- OECD 420, 423, 425: Acute Oral Toxicity Testing.
- OECD 407: Repeated Dose 28-day Oral Toxicity Study.
Advice, data analysis and training
- Writing scientific articles and literature reviews.
- Designing studies and mentoring in drawing up biotechnology roadmaps.
- Nutrition and dietetics applied to new technologies and artificial intelligence.
- Support for industrialising technological processes.
- Drawing up scientific dossiers following European Community Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and its subsequent amendments (EC Regulations 107/2008 and 109/2008).
- Training in biochemistry, metabolism, nutrition and food science and technology.
- Bioinformatics tools for the processing, statistical analysis, and biological interpretation of the generated data.
Highlighted projects
A biomarker-based system for sending personalised advice about healthy habits and nutrition aimed at improving health and preventing the development of metabolic diseases.
European clinical study on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in reducing youth obesity.
Personalised training system to maintain the motivation of older people to look after their health and foster healthy nutrition.
Industrial investment and development of bioactive ingredients and new foods for mental health.
Network of omics technologies applied to innovation and industrial development of functional and nutraceutical foods.
Contact
Sara Gómez
Director of the Nutrition and Health Unit.
PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where she specialized in the development of analytical microsystems based on nanobiotechnology. She has extensive experience in the development of biomedical devices, in projects focused on the detection of pathogens or cancer cells, as well as in the preparation of platelet-rich plasma, among others. She has led various research projects, fostering collaboration with biomedical and technical experts and working on intellectual property strategies in scientific and legal fields. Currently, she holds the position of Director of the Nutrition and Health Unit at Eurecat-Reus.
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