 |
2011 News
Probiotics: sugar-coating promotes survival and reduces infection
.JPG)
New insights into how probiotic bacteria provide positive health benefits are published today in the prestigious international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The research, carried out by Saranna Fanning and Lindsay Hall and led by Professor Douwe van Sinderen and his colleagues at the APC along with collaborators at The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute showed that the outer coating surrounding the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 plays a key role in its survival in the gut, its evasion of the immune system and is involved in reducing infection levels of a gut pathogen.
Microbe Magic@School Week 2011
Each year, scientists from the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre can be found in primary schools around Cork city and county talking to young students about some aspect of biology and doing hands-on experiments as part of MicrobeMagic@School week. Over the last 7 years more than 30,000 pupils and their teachers have been visited by the APC.
Science Raps 2011 Competition Winners announced
A group of students from Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork are the winners in the senior category of this year’s APC Science Raps competition. James Carr composed and performed the vocals for “The Chemistry of Life” rap and the video was produced and edited by Eoghan Calnan. Additional support was provided by their “actor” classmates Luke Delaney, James Meeke, David O’Neill and John Spillane.
International Gastroenterology award for APC's Eamonn Quigley
APC’s Professor Eamonn Quigley has been awarded an International Leadership Award from the American College of Gastroenterology, the first person to receive this award worldwide. He was given the award, in part, for helping train doctors in the second and third world in gastroenterology. Professor Quigley was also recognized for his educational achievements on behalf of the American College of Gastroenterology in the international arena.
Have you got Chemistry? 2011 Science Raps Competition launched
When sparks fly between two people, we’re quick to say they have “chemistry”. So if you get rhythm and rhyme, why not rant and rap about “The Chemistry of Life” in this year’s Science Raps competition.
All you need to do is compose, perform and video your rap on the “Chemistry of Life” taking inspiration from your everyday life - from lifesaving medication to microchips in our mobile phones, from the beauty products we use to the food and water we consume. You will be in with a chance to win a fantastic prize of an iPad or iPod and your uploaded videos will be viewed across the globe. You might even get famous!!!
Click here for Competition Rules and Application Form
Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression related disorders
Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders according to research published today in the prestigious international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The research, carried out by Dr Javier Bravo and Professor John Cryan and their colleagues at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC, along with collaborators from the Brain-Body Institute, McMaster University in Canada, demonstrated that mice fed with Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 showed significantly fewer stress, anxiety and depression-related behaviours than those fed with just broth. Moreover, ingestion of the bacteria resulted in significantly lower levels of the stress-induced hormone, corticosterone.
Listen to interview with John Cryan on National Public Radio Science Friday
Toxin-producing bacteria- the importance of knowing your enemy
A better understanding of how bacterial toxins cause common human diseases may lead to their improved treatment and prevention according to a paper just published by Irish and US scientists in Nature Reviews Microbiology.
UREKA 2011 Students Site Vist to Novartis
Twelve undergraduate students taking part in the Microbe-Host UREKA programme funded by Science Foundation Ireland in UCC recently visited Novartis in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. This industry site visit was one of a number of activities, seminars and workshops that students undertake as part of this programme which is organised and run by Dr. Cormac Gahan, Dr. Sally Cudmore and Andrea Doolan in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre.
APC Neuroscientist wins Prestigious International Award
Dr Siobhain O’Mahony, a neuroscientist in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and the Department of Anatomy, UCC was recently awarded the “Ray Clouse Award for the Paper Most Cited” in the field of functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders. This prestigious award is based on an evaluation of articles published from January 2008 to December 2009 in journals in this field. It is given by the Rome Foundation in memory of Professor Ray E. Clouse, MD a gastroenterologist and scholar at Washington University School of Medicine.
UCC Scientists Advance Probiotic Research
UCC scientists have discovered the genes responsible for efficient colonisation by a probiotic bacterium of the intestine. The research will have applications in the functional food and infant formula industries: the latter is strategically very important for Ireland which produces a fifth of the world’s infant formula. The study is published today 20 June 2011 in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.
In this research scientists have sequenced the DNA of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 and shown for the first time that bifidobacteria produce finger-like appendages called TAD pili that allow them to colonise the gut. The presence of TAD pili in all bifidobacteria suggests a common mechanism for colonisation.
“Microbes for Mankind – from Science to Society”
Fergus Shanahan, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Director of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) at University College Cork, Ireland, presented the 2011 Morton I. Grossman Lecture, “Mining Microbes for Mankind — From Science to Society” at Digestive Disease Week® 2011 in Chicago recently.
Prof. Shanahan provided an overview of the diversity of the microbial community within the gut and of its critical importance to the human body in health and disease prevention. He then went on to discuss current theories linking some other bacterial strains with risk of disease. He also explored concepts of host-microbe interactions within the gut, and how we can translate the knowledge we’ve learned about the microbes in the human gut to clinical medicine – mining microbes for novel drugs or functional food ingredients.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Infections, Food and Stress
Do you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? If so, the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) at UCC invites you to a Public Forum on June 1st. The aim of this Forum is to increase awareness about IBS and provide up-to-date information for patients and their families on living with this condition. The event takes place in Lecture Theatre G01, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, College Road, Cork from 7.00-8.30pm.
The forum will be chaired by Professor Eamonn Quigley, Professor of Medicine at UCC, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Cork University Hospital (CUH) and Principal Investigator at the APC. Professor Quigley and his colleagues, Professor Colin Hill, UCC and Dr Orla Craig, CUH, will each give presentations followed by a question and answer session with the audience.
Cork scientists ranked as world leaders in probiotic research
Ireland’s scientists are punching above their weight on a global stage. This is according to the independent international ratings agency Thomson Reuters Science Watch global analysis, which tracks trends and performance in research disciplines according to scientific publications. University College Cork weighs in at number 2 in the world for probiotics research, due primarily to publications from researchers in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre. The report, based on overall citations of APC research publications over the past 10 years, was published on http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/probiotics/institution/.
Microbiology publication gets the cover of Infection and Immunity
Scientists from the Department of Microbiology in UCC have investigated the mechanisms by which bacteria can grow in the gall bladder causing painful inflammation (cholecystitis). The condition is relatively common and generally requires removal of the gall bladder. However relatively few studies have investigated how bacteria can grow in this environment. The current work was carried out in the laboratory of APC's Dr. Cormac Gahan by Georgina Dowd as part of her PhD studies and was directly funded through a Research Frontiers Programme Grant from Science Foundation Ireland.
Huge demand for APC Transition Year Placements
APC’s Budding Biologists Transition Year Experience Programme took place from 11-15 April 2011.
This year the APC hosted a record number of 20 Transition Year students from 14 different schools from Castletownbere Co. Cork to Carnew Co.Wicklow, in response to an increasing demand for places.
CIT's Mark Fenton wins APC poster Prize
Congratulations to PhD student Mark Fenton from Cork Institute of Technology who won the best poster presentation prize, sponsored by the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre at the 40th Annual UCC Food Research Conference recently.
Mark’s presentation was entitled “ Three dimensional structure of an antistaphylococcal peptidase CHAPk cloned from staphylococcal bacteriophage K”.
The Coldest Place in Ireland
“The coldest place in Ireland” is the title of this year’s winning presentation in the UCC Science for All Postgraduate Public Presentation Competition which took place at UCC last evening (March 30th 2011). The presentation by Laura Russell, a postgraduate student in UCC’s Tyndall National Institute and Department of Physics emerged victorious at the competition in which young scientists have to explain themselves “without the jargon” to a live audience.
Students Communicate Science
Communicating scientific research to a lay audience is the aim of Science for All, the UCC postgraduate public presentation competition jointly organised by the APC, Tyndall National Institute and the College of SEFS. The Final takes place at UCC on Wednesday, March 30th 2011 in Boole Lecture Theatre 2 at 7pm..
Topics include Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Functional Food, Colon Cancer, Ocean Energy, Quantum vs Classical Worlds, and Ultra Cold Atoms.
Munster Debating Science Winners
Colaiste an Phiarsaigh Glanmire battled it out with Clonakilty Community College in the Munster Final of Debating Science Issues, the schools science debating competition coorganised by APC and Tyndall National Institute. However, the confident team from Coláiste an Phiarsaigh persuaded the panel of judges, which included scientists and a journalist, that “the procurement and use of embryonic stem cells for scientific research is unethical”. The winning team will go through to the national finals which will take place in the Science Gallery in Dublin on 14th April 2011.
New Nutrition Outreach Programme
UCC Medical students have developed a new Nutrition Outreach Programme in association with the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, which has a well-developed and hugely popular schools education program. The importance of adequate Calcium and Vitamin D intake for peak bone mass attainment is their key message. They also distribute smoothie recipes, play calcium games and use a selection of medical props to explain digestion and bone health.
Designer probiotics could reduce obesity
Specially designed probiotics can modulate the physiology of host fat cells say scientists writing in Microbiology. The findings could lead to specialised probiotics that have a role in the prevention or treatment of conditions such as obesity.
| Biosciences Institute University College Cork Ireland email: apc@ucc.ie |
Moorepark Food Research Centre Teagasc, Fermoy, Co. Cork Ireland |
 |
 |