bozik@af.czu.cz

Teresita Martín del Campo Barba, Ph.D.

Position: ERA Chair Team Member – Senior Researcher

Research Focus: Food bioprocessing, functional compounds recovery from byproducts, functional new products development and their bioactivity and compositional evaluation

Teresita Martín del Campo Barba received her Ph.D. degree at the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (France) in Food Sciences and at the University of Guadalajara in Biotechnological Processes. She is a member of the National System of Researchers (SIN I) of the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONHACYT) in Mexico.

She was a core researcher of the Nutriomics and Emerging Technologies focus group, was part of the Bioengineering Department at the School of Engineering and Sciences of the Tecnológico de Monterrey and taught student courses in Food Industry Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering and the Master’s and Doctorate in Biotechnology at the Institute of Technology and Higher Studies of Monterrey, Querétaro Campus.

Teresita Martín del Campo Barba has actively collaborated with researchers from different institutions such as the University of Guadalajara, the Autonomous University of Querétaro, the Institute of Biological Sciences (IPN), the University of Guadalajara and the University of Guanajuato at the national level. Internationally, she has collaborated with INRA (France) and the University of Granada (Spain).

Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Dept. of Food Technology, safety and Health, hosted and organized together with partner institutions: Czech University of Life Sciences, University of Pisa, Wageningen University & Research, and the Swedish University of Life Sciences, the summer school (BIP) entitle INSECTS IN FOOD. Dr. Diana Karina Allende, the new ERA CHAIR HOLDER of CZU, has been one of the main lecturers with lecture titled: Insect protein functionalization by structural modification.

Students followed different topic lectures such as edible insect farming, edible insects’ nutritional content, consumer acceptance, processing, and protein functionalization, among others. As part of the program, the students visited an insect pilot plant and participated in workshops preparing food products such as chocolate, bakery, and margarine using edible insects (powder) and insect derivatives (oil and lecithin).

We are looking for candidates for the Senior Team Members in the ERA Chair Research Group complying with the level of R3 (Established researcher) from both EU and non-EU countries.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague is an ambitious institution aiming to develop significant regional and international strength in Food Technology, fully utilising the state-of-the-art facilities recently established through European and National support.

Please, apply via Euraxess:

https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/145322

Diana Baigts Allende is the new ERA Chair Holder in the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, beginning early in 2023. She has international experience, having worked in academia and research in Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Mexico, always in the broader field of nutrition, food science, food engineering, and food technology. Dr. Baigts has consistently led groundbreaking projects that have yielded tangible scientific results and commitment to create a positive impact at the intersection of academia, industry, and society. Her leadership has also been extended to her active involvement in fostering the growth of future professionals through her role in student mentoring and academic committees. Her research studies underutilized and more sustainable sources to produce added-value ingredients (mainly proteins) and food products directed to the food industry and vulnerable populations. Dr. Baigts work has not only resulted in granted patents but has also made a significant impact through numerous publications. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (US), a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI, Mexico), and a scientific reviewer (area VI) of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT, Mex).

What made you accept the position of an ERA CHAIR HOLDER, what was your motivation?

I accepted the position because I recognized the high potential of this opportunity. The chance to lead a research team, generate knowledge and establish a solid group dedicated to applied sciences in food production aligns with my vocation. I believe this project will contribute to the scientific community and benefit society.

What is your research focus?

My research primarily focuses on food processing and producing highly nutritious and sustainable products for target populations. This includes exploring underutilized and wasted natural sources for obtaining ingredients (bio and techno-functional) for food production with enhanced nutritional value and quality.

What would you like to achieve at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague?

My primary goal at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague is to establish a research center that serves as a hub for cutting-edge research in food technology. I want to foster scientific excellence and increase interdisciplinary collaborations and international visibility.

You have experience with many countries around the world. How does the Czech Republic compare?

I have experience working with various countries; each nation has its unique strengths and challenges in the field of food technology. The Czech Republic offers a promising environment for research and development in agriculture and food technology due to its rich agricultural tradition and increasing focus on innovation. However, like many countries, it faces the global challenges of ensuring the sustainability of food safety and meeting a growing population’s demands. Collaboration with international partners will be crucial in addressing these challenges effectively.

DRIFT-FOOD has been presented at an international agrosalon Země živitelka, which ranks among the most important agricultural fairs in Europe. In 2022, it was attended by over 600 exhibitors from 19 countries and by 114,501 visitors. It’s the largest and most important event of its kind and scope focusing on the agricultural sector across all its branches in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The event is intended for professionals as well for the public.

DRIFT-FOOD project has been presented at the University of California, Berkeley and at the University of California Santa Barbara, which are on the forefront in terms of food sustainability and innovation. Lukas Pacek, the DRIFT-FOOD project manager and Laura Mickova, the DRIFT-FOOD communication manager, have presented the project and the team to representatives and heads of units on both UC campuses. Connections have been established and the team will benefit in the long term from given cooperation.

The Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, in cooperation with French partners from AnaEE (Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems) and CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique), organized a conference on 5^th and 6^th of June called European Research Services on Agroecology in the Aula of CZU in Prague.

The conference was held within the framework of the important European project AgroServ (Integrated SERvices supporting a sustainable AGROecological transition) of which the CZU is part of. The results of the AgroServ project will have a major impact on the future of the food system, preserving biodiversity and reducing the impact of agriculture on the climate. DRIFT-FOOD has been presented through the ECO-READY during the conference.

The ECO-READY project is the largest project within the HORIZON program obtained at CZU ever, and it is also the largest HORIZON EUROPE project coordinated by a Czech institution so far. ECO-READY was submitted under the umbrella of the DRIFT-FOOD centre and its team will be part of the DRIFT-FOOD unit.

The members of the ECO-READY consortium, which is led by the Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, are 17 partners from various European countries. The ECO-READY project (full title: Achieving Ecological Resilient Dynamism for the European food system through consumer-driven policies, socioecological challenges, biodiversity, data-driven policy, sustainable futures), in cooperation with partners, was written and at the same time led by the project team of the Faculty of Agrobiology, of food and natural resources, specifically Dr. Ioanis Manikas, who is the scientific coordinator of the project and Laura Míčková together with Lukáš Pack, who led the project work. The project will develop a system working in real time, an observatory offered as an e-platform and as a mobile application. This will act as a unique source of information providing a real-time assessment of the food system and will consistently update forecasts.

Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, invites applicants for the position of:

ERA Chair – Head of the Food Technology Research Team

Project DRIFT-FOOD, WIDESPREAD-06-2020

Dr. Iveta Klojdová and Dr. Lukáš Pacek talk about novel food products, how to use food waste, extend the shelf life of products and other topics researched by FRIFT-FOOD team in the Czech Radio (Český rozhlas), which is the public radio broadcaster of the Czech Republic operating since 1923. It is the oldest radio broadcaster in continental Europe and the second oldest in Europe after the BBC.

The broadcasting was in Czech language and you can listen it here: https://www.mujrozhlas.cz/dopoledni-host/jablko-v-tabletce-i-jedlem-obalu-ktery-prodlouzi-trvanlivost-vedci-navrhuji-jak-lepe