Host Microbiota Interactions: A Personalized Point of View

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Recorded April 18, 2024

Description:

The laboratory of Dr. Benoit Chassaing, Team Leader at INSERM located at Institut Pasteur in Paris, focuses on mucosal microbiota in chronic inflammatory diseases. The central objective of his research team is to study the composition and function of the microbiota at the mucosal surface, in both health and disease states, and using both pre-clinical models and clinical approaches. In this presentation, Dr. Chassaing covered recent advances made toward a better understanding of the central role played by mucus-associated bacteria in chronic inflammatory diseases, as well as the extent to which microbiota assessment will enable, in the coming years, precision nutrition and medicine.

The event was supported by the Nutrition for Gut Health Committee.

Myths and Realities of Artificial Intelligence: Setting the Record Straight

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Recorded December 5, 2023

Description:

As the food & nutrition community starts to build a general understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its uses, this webinar address common myths and realities regarding AI. First, there are the subsets – machine, deep, and generative learning, which are terms sometimes used interchangeably or incorrectly. In addition, what can it produce – is it appropriate for every question or only for very technical or futuristic needs? Finally, AI is commonly viewed as a ‘black box’ which challenges trust and brings concerns about bias. What is really going on ‘in there’, and how can users be sure that the output is ready for use?

The Promise and Hype of AI: Where Are We – And Where Are We Going?

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Recorded October 17, 2023

Description:

ChatGPT seems to be everywhere. News outlets tout its promise yet also highlight its potential pitfalls. Yet despite questions around their responsible use, ChatGPT and other AI tools are currently being implemented from education to business to research, with even more transformational advances on the horizon. How can we leverage this technology to enable insightful answers to today’s science challenges and inspire creative thinking? Dr. Andrew Maynard of Arizona State University described the fundamentals of OpenAI’s ChatGPT capabilities, and approaches to effectively using AI (e.g., through “prompt engineering”) to shape inquiries and extract the most insightful and relevant answers for various applications.

Food Safety in the Era of Alternative Proteins: Challenges and Solutions

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Recorded August 23, 2023

Description:

There is a growing interest and innovation in field of alternative proteins including both plant-based and cell-based products. As with any novel food technology, ensuring their safety is of the utmost importance for public health and ultimately the success of these new products. This webinar will address the food safety hazards associated with alternative proteins and the mitigation strategies that are being taken as these novel foods are developed for the market.

Diet-Microbiome Interactions in Older People: Effect on Inflammaging

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Recorded May 18, 2023

Description:

“Inflammaging” describes the low-grade inflammation that arises from age-related changes to the immune system. Intersecting with age-related inflammation are age-related changes to the gut microbiome. These two systemic changes can modify disease risk, with that disease circling back to affect immune response and gut microbiome composition and function. This webinar discusses potential dietary interventions to target gut-microbiome changes linked to both “healthy” and “unhealthy aging” as well as knowledge gaps and research needed to further understand how to promote a “healthy aging” process.

Can Diet Impact the Gut Microbiome to Support a ‘Healthy’ Immune Response? What We Know Today

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Recorded January 11, 2023

Description:

The gut microbiome has a role in “programming” the immune system – a significant component of which operates in the gut. It is also well-documented that diet has a notable impact on the gut microbiome but that there are differences among individuals. Join IAFNS as Dr Philip Calder, Head of the School of Human Development and Health, and Professor of Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton, provides an overview of the knowns and unknowns related to how diet can support a “healthy” immune response, considering nutritional modulation of the gut microbiome.

Live Microbe Data and How to Submit to the Global Branded Food Products Database

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Recorded February 27, 2023

Description:

The partners for the USDA Global Branded Food Products Database have made it possible for food manufacturers to contribute to the Database information on live microbes creating the opportunity to advance new health research. This webinar will provide an overview of the rationale for inclusion of dietary microbes, USDA’s data validation process, how to access the data in the Global Branded Foods Products Database and how manufacturers can share live microbe data through the Global Data Synchronization Network.

The Power of Storytelling in Scientific Communications

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An understanding of the narrative arc in scientific contexts will assist in building storytelling techniques for scientists.

As part of the 2023 Science Innovation Showcase, Andi Robinson (Hijinx Marketing/Butler University) reviewed the essence of storytelling in science including an exploration of some notable examples of storytelling in science.  Also explored was the challenges in scientific communication  - including the complexity and specialization of scientific information.  An understanding of the narrative arc in scientific contexts will assist in building storytelling techniques for scientists. Additionally, case studies are presented with examples from both the public and private sector.

More information on the IAFNS 2023 Science Innovation Showcase is available here.

Food Safety Extension Workshop | McGill University & IAFNS

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Recorded November 28, 2023

Description:

The webinar is part of an extension program aimed at understanding and addressing multiple hazards and controls in food safety environments. The program featured scientists from two Canadian universities and three U.S. universities. This video is the presentation and discussion on “Process preventive controls for food products” by Prof. Cangliang Shen at West Virginia University.