Three new Vitagora projects have received accreditation from the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), the French governmental agency responsable for funding public research projects. These new accreditations join the 3 other Vitagora projects that previously received ANR accreditation in 2005 and 2006 (OPALINE, EDUSENS and VDQA), bringing the total to 6. With this state accreditation, and thanks to the support of Vitagora, these projects will benefit from additional state funding.
The new Vitagora projects with ANR accreditation in 2007 are:
Project SENSOFAT lead by the laboratory "Physiology of Nutrition" of the University of Burgundy and coordinated by Philippe Besnard.
This project studies the role of the fatty acid transporter FAT/CD36 in the detection of lipids by the tongue, intestine and brain, as well as its impact on dietary habits and health. The possibility, thanks to this study, to show the probable link between the detection of the "taste of fat", preference or sensitivity to lipids and the prevalence of certain metabolic disorders (obesity etc.) constitutes an important goal.
Project SENSINMOUTH lead by the UMR FLAVIC (INRA/ENESAD) and coordinated by Elisabeth Guichard.
This project concerns the study and the modelisation of mechanisms in the mouth responsable for the dynamics of the liberation of sensory stimuli. As much in terms of research as in terms of industrial applications, it is becoming indispensable to better apprehend and understand the interaction between a product and the mouth. At the end of this research programme, this project will give us a new way of looking at the development of food products with the aim of improving their acceptability, this being of primordial importance for the nutrition and 'renutrition' of certain consumer groups (children, seniors etc.)
Project PIANO lead by the University of Burgundy and coordinated by David Wendehenne. By analysing the signals emitted by plants undergoing biotic and abiotic stress, this project aims to better understand the defence mechanisms of plants that produce natural active molecules with interesting nutritional qualities (e.g. the production of antioxidants in defence of free radical attacks).
Integrated into the strategy of Vitagora through its "logic of the living" approach, this project is of great interest to the food manufacturers of the cluster who have an interest in developping industrial products formulated from natural ingredients rich in nutrients and having superior taste qualities.
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