Rowett Newsletter 2021

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Rowett COVID-19 Response

In the immediate grip of the Coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020, saw the closing of the Rowett Institute building, stopping human studies and laboratory research, with staff and students working from home. Specifically, in response to the Coronavirus crisis we were able to support partners on our Foresterhill site, providing NHS Grampian with equipment and staff to increase clinical PCR testing throughput and staff support to a new clinical training centre.

Since then through the dedication of our staff and students we have, when COVID restrictions allowed, reopened our building enabling laboratory research and ensuring the continuation of our work in nutrition and health. New projects have been developed and delivered in response to the pandemic. For example, we have used our expertise to assess the impact of the pandemic on food supply, consumer behaviour and the food people are eating. Our staff have also provided input and expertise to COVID reviews and impact consultations to a range of different organisations.

Changes in the way we have worked during the pandemic have also required the immediate shifting of teaching to a virtual environment to ensure the continued delivery of our highly valued courses. Other changes due to the pandemic has meant that our human nutrition team while not delivering human trials created a range of new recipes that are available on our web site. These are COVID store cupboard ready and well as being healthy and nutritious. Likewise our knowledge exchange team when unable to deliver planned projects, turned their attention to expanding our free online educational resources.

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Rowett Research Update

Diet affects the human gut microbiota

Sylvia Duncan, Ajay Iyer and Wendy Russell

Protein and carbohydrate play an important role in the composition and metabolism of bacteria in the human gut. Research from the Rowett highlights the role that the gut microbiota plays in human health, and disease development.

As well as considering sources and quality of dietary protein the work also focusses on the environmental impacts of these sources and how, within a changing agricultural landscape, they are affecting the sustainability of our food system.

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Epigenetic imprinting and the change with age

Marlene Lorgen-Ritchie, Gwen Hoad and Paul Haggarty

Cutting-edge molecular techniques have been used to understand the way in which factors such as years in education, or socioeconomic circumstances could create a disadvantage in life that is increasingly seen in Scotland, the UK, and globally.

These methods helped describe mechanisms by which the early life environment can influence brain health in later life. The findings could lead to novel tests of brain structure and function as well as developing strategies to improve cognition.

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Personalised and precision nutrition

Tilly Potter, Rute Viera and Baukje de Roos

Personalised nutrition aims to improve health at an individual level. To investigate how personalised diets could work, research into what are termed N-of-1 studies is ongoing. These types of studies aim to exploit the variation in health and health behaviours between people to identify whether and why specific dietary studies work for some, and not for others.

Using AI tools enables a range of measurements to be collected, multiple times, over a longer period of time which will drive new insights into how people can respond differently to similar diets.

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The Full4Health project – slowing the progression to obesity

Daniel Crabtree, William Buosi, Claire Fyfe, Graham Horgan, Julian Mercer, Alexandra Johnstone.

Understanding the mechanisms of hunger, satiety and how nutrients affect appetite control is important for successful weight management. An international collaboration investigated appetite control across human lifetime, comparing age groups, weight and gender.

The research has increased the knowledge of the mechanisms of satiety and feeding behaviour, which may in the future provide support for much of the overweight population, and thereby slow the progression to obesity.

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Broad bean bread gives an extra dose of fibre

Qianqian Ni, Viren Ranawana, Helen E. Hayes, Nicholas J. Hayward, David Stead and Vassilios Raikos

Broad beans form an important part of the diet in many parts of the world; however, the hull of these beans is usually removed. This processing of the beans removes some of the important fibre contained within the hull which could be used to improve the nutrition of bread.

Replacement of 11% of white flour with broad bean hull raised the proportion of dietary fibre in a loaf of bread as well as reducing the amount of gluten present. Future work will focus on understanding how the broad bean hull interacts with the wheat proteins in the bread to optimise bread recipes.

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Leptin and the neurobiology of obesity

Teodora Georgescu, David Lyons, Barbora Doslikova, Ana Paula Garcia, Oliver Marston, Luke K Burke, Raffaella Chianese, Brian Y H Lam, Giles S H Yeo Justin J Rochford, Alastair S Garfield, and Lora K Heisler

A group of cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain produces a hormone called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). This hormone is responsible for regulating our appetite, physical activity, energy expenditure and body weight. Characterisation of specific POMC-producing cells found that the hormone leptin regulates some of these cells. As a decreased sensitivity to leptin can cause obesity, this work provides new insights into the neurobiology of appetite and obesity.

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Engagement and Events

Rowett at the Scottish Parliament

Professor Paul Haggarty gave evidence to two sessions of the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee on behalf of the Rowett and SEFARI. One session was held in December 2020 and considered the “Provisional UK Common Framework on Nutrition labelling, Composition and Standards nutrition and health claims made on foods”. A session held in January 2021 considered the “Provisional UK Common Framework on Food and Feed Safety and Hygiene (FFSH)”. His evidence highlighted the challenges facing Scotland and the UK in respect of the post-brexit arrangements regarding food regulation.

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Taste of Plants Project

Dr Madalina Neacsu created the Taste of Plants Project, which was based on her novel crops research and recipes that had been used in human trials run at the Rowett. Dr Neacsu was successfully awarded a grant from SEFARI Gateway to run an event showcasing novel crop recipes for key partners.

The project brought together SEFARI researchers with individuals and key organisations including local community enterprises, farmers, a local MSP and representatives from the food industry and non-governmental organisations. Guests ate plant protein recipes over a four course lunch where Dr Neacsu and collaborators Professor Wendy Russell (Rowett Institute), Dr Robin Walker (SRUC), Dr Max Coleman (Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh) and Professor Christine Watson (SRUC) discussed the nutritious and environmental advantages of novel plant crops.

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Rowett Celebrates its Role in the Discovery of Insulin

Insulin was discovered by a group of scientists in 1921 at the University of Toronto, led by John James Rickard Macleod, an alumnus of both the University of Aberdeen and Rowett Institute. He had an early interest in carbohydrate metabolism becoming Professor of Physiology at the University of Toronto. It was in his laboratory that insulin was discovered in 1921, for which he was jointly awarded the Noble prize in Physiology in 1923. He later moved back to Aberdeen, became Regius Chair of Physiology at University of Aberdeen as well as continuing his research into the carbohydrate metabolism of animals at the Rowett.

To celebrate the centenary of the discovery of insulin, there are a series of events planned this Autumn and early next year at the University, including lectures and school activities. Details will follow on our social media and news pages.

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New Rowett Research

Group of young scientists Rowett Institute

The Rowett has recently enhanced its areas of research and expertise with the appointment of new members of staff, these include:

Dr Fabien Naneix investigating the developmental aspects of normal and pathological food-related behaviours. Dr Brendan Gabriel investigating the interaction between metformin and exercise in people with Diabetes. Dr Sergiy Sylantyev researches the neural mechanisms of diabetes, as well as food choice, nutrition and taste perception. Dr Magaly Aceves Martins works with Professor Baukje de Roos to establish the determinants of healthy and sustainable diets. Dr Anouschka Ramsteijn works with Professor Paul Haggarty and Dr Alan Walker examining the microbiome and epigenetics in relation to childhood stunting as part of the UKRI/GCRF funded Action Against Stunting Hub

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Rowett Facilities and Services

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Rowett Courses

The Rowett runs courses on a variety of nutrition and health subjects that are available online, on campus, as well as professional CPD and academic qualifications.

A free Nutrition and Wellbeing course is run in association with the Futurelearn online platform.
A University of Aberdeen On-Demand CPD course on Food Choice and Behaviour.
A University of Aberdeen On-Demand short course on Lifestyle Medicine.
A University of Aberdeen On-Demand Clinical Nutrition MSc.
A University of Aberdeen MSc in Human Nutrition.

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Rowett Research Update

Engagement and Events

New Rowett Research

Rowett Facilities and Services