Nutrition

Bogdan Mateescu of ETH University in Switzerland will explore the role of mammalian microRNAs maternally transmitted to infants through milk. This project could lead to the development of innovative nutritional supplements for correcting unhealthy growth or protecting infants from pathogens.

Aaron Dossey of All Things Bugs, LLC in the U.S. proposes to develop a method for the efficient production of nutritionally dense food using insect species. Dossey and collaborators will identify candidate species and test the nutritional value, shelf-stability, and palatability of a dried powder made from these insects for use in food products to help eliminate malnutrition in children.

Geoffrey von Maltzahn of Essentient Inc. in the U.S. proposes to design a solar-powered production system to produce pure DHA, a key lipid for infant nutrition, in a low-cost bioreactor. These cell cultures could be used to mass-produce DHA for infant nutrition and development without the need for land or fresh water.

Rinti Banerjee of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in India will develop lipid-based nanoparticles containing iron, folic acid, and iodine and attempt to integrate them into cosmetic pastes such as mehendi or kohl that are commonly used by rural women in developing countries. These cosmetics could be used to transdermally deliver to mothers important micronutrients needed for healthy growth of fetuses.

Steven Maranz of David H. Murdock Research Institute in the U.S. proposes to address vitamin A deficiency by using probiotics that biosynthesize carotenoids. Delivered in yogurt, the beneficial microbes will subsequently colonize the digestive tract, where they will manufacture the raw material for the body to convert to vitamin A.

Philip LeDuc of Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. will attempt to increase consumption of native, highly nutritious but underutilized leafy vegetables found in Africa by using mechanical processing of the plant's cells to improve palatability as well as nutrient bioavailability. Using cell mechanics to alter the properties of these crops could lead to improved, low-cost diets for infants and children.

Alistair McEwan of The University of Sydney in Australia will develop a simple, low-cost electronic device built from recycled LEDs and microcontrollers to measure subcutaneous fat levels and thereby determine nutritional status in infants. Current methods are expensive or require a trained health worker, and as such are unsuitable for use particularly in developing countries. In Phase I, they performed several design iterations leading to the production of a low-cost prototype that was used for a small trial in newborns.

Mary Ann Lila and colleagues at North Carolina University in the U.S. will partner with the University of Zambia to test a new technology that concentrates phytonutrients from locally grown fruits and vegetables into a protein-rich food matrix. The resulting product could provide a low-cost highly stable year-round source of vital nutrients for mothers, infants and children in African communities.

Jacob Godfrey Agea of Makerere University in Uganda proposes to breed Nsenene grasshoppers (Ruspolia Nitidula), which are a rich source of protein, and grind or mill them for use as a flour or additive in other foods such as cereals and grains. These insects could provide a unique source of nutrition for infants and children under the age of five in Eastern Africa.

Nona Andaya-Castillo of Philippine Lactation Resource and Training in the Philippines will investigate the effects that maternal diet has on the hormones that can stimulate, sustain or hinder lactation, and also explore the varying nutritional contents of breastmilk based on such diets.