CALL FOR GRANT RESEARCH PROPOSALS

The Alpro Foundation is looking at giving some research grants for new innovative research related to "bioactive compounds from the plant and impact on human health" in 2009.

Application deadline for short proposals is July 31, 2009. After approval by the Scientific Advisory Board a full proposal can be sent in untill September 30, 2009.

Applications are accepted for a maximum of € 75.000 per year and the duration period can not exceed 3 years.

  • Applicants should first submit a short proposal, which briefly describes the project and an estimated budget for sponsoring using the attached format (PDF or word). 
  • The applications should be written in English.
  • The application will be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of the Alpro Foundation.
  • As many studies deal with human volunteer and/or intervention trials, it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain a specific approval for this project from the local ethical committee. An affirmative letter from such a committee should be attached to the application form.
  • All submissions should be sent by email to: alprofoundation@alpro.be
     

 

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SECOND EDITION ALPRO FOUNDATION AWARD MASTERS

The Alpro Foundation Award for Masters is given in recognition of an outstanding thesis regarding the impact of bioactive compounds from the plant or plant-based nutrition on human health, the environment or the economy.

This Award for MSc students was launched for the first time in 2008 in five countries, namely Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom & Ireland.

Each national winner receives a generous award amounting to € 2,500 in recognition for their outstanding thesis. In addition, an European Alpro Foundation Award is presented to one of these five winners. The winner of the European Award will receive a further € 2,500 on top of the first award.

Master students graduating in 2009 can submit their recent thesis by September 30, 2009 online.
 

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PLANT-BASED FOODS: IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY AGAINST OBESITY

Alpro Foundation hosted a satellite symposium entitled "Plant-based foods: Important role to play against obesity" on May 6th, 2009 at the latest ECO congress.Alpro Foundation was gold sponsor at the 17th European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam.

A report of the symposium can be downloaded here. 

  • Natural and synthetic peptides in the prevention of obesity - Dr Paolo Magni (Milan, Italy
  • Unsaturated fatty acids and obesity - Dr. Sander Kersten (Wageningen, The Netherlands)
  • Effect of soya-substituted diet in children and adolescents with familial and polygenic hypercholesterolaemia - Prof. Dr. Kurt Widhalm (Vienna, Austria)
  • Effect of soy food products on satiety, food intake and subjective sensations - Dr. Clare Lawton (Leeds, UK)
  • Plant-based foods and exercise: how to motivate people? - Prof. Dr. Greet Vansant (Leuven, Belgium)

 

More info on the ECO congress can be found here

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MELINA CLAUSSNITZER EUROPEAN AWARD WINNER

Dissertation on Glucose Wins First European Alpro Foundation Award for Masters

Melina Claussnitzer (Munich Technical University) won the first “European Alpro Foundation Award”. The European Alpro Foundation Award is a prestigious distinction for a thesis which discusses the effects of plant-based nutrition and the impact on human health. On April 22, the Award was presented for the first time. With this award, Alpro Foundation aims to stimulate scientific research in Europe.

The Winning Dissertation

The winning dissertation was selected from five European candidates who had already won the national award. Melina Claussnitzer won the award for her research on how flavonoids (plant-based bioactive components with antioxidant properties) can affect the uptake of glucose in fat cells.

“Weight problems and obesity are a worldwide health issue and contain a significant risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Basic research into the role of fat cells in the regulation of glucose levels and the impact of nutrition can provide important information that could help us reduce these risks" says Dr De Vriese of the Alpro Foundation.

In her research on fat cells, Melina showed that certain flavonoids in very high concentrations, such as naringenin (from grapefruit), flavone (from cereal) and genistein and daidzein (from soya), obstruct glucose uptake in fat cells. This effect could be caused by direct interaction with the glucose transporter GLUT4. A raised GLUT4 function reduces the chances of type 2 diabetes, while a disturbed function increases the chance. In a normal diet these flavonoids have no impact on glucose uptake. With a normal consumption of daidzein (soya) there are even indications that more glucose is taken up. The research shows that the glucose transporter GLUT4 can play an important role in controlling glucose levels in the body and provides a basis for further research.

The European Alpro Foundation Award for Masters: Supporting Young Scientific Research

With the European Alpro Foundation Award for Masters, the Alpro Foundation aims to support and promote scientific knowledge and research on nutrition and health. “Scientific research is the keystone for progress in our society. Thanks to science we can find solutions for modern problems, we can innovate and also look towards the future”, says Professor Delzenne, who chaired the jury. “The fact that the Alpro Foundation keeps track of and rewards the work of young scientists is an extra stimulus for young people to dedicate themselves to nutritional research.”

This is the first time that the prize has been awarded to master students from five European countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom (Ireland included). Melina Claussnitzer's dissertation was chosen from 43 submissions.

The Alpro Foundation Award has been awarded to bachelor's students in Belgium since 1996. In 2008 the Alpro Foundation decided that it would also reward master students with exceptional dissertations on plant-based nutrition in the five countries, and one master student in particular with the European Alpro Foundation Award. “From now on, we will award the prize each year and hope to draw attention to the importance of balanced nutrition on our health, and to stimulate knowledge through research”, explains Stephanie De Vriese of the Alpro Foundation.

A report of the award winner was published in Complete Nutrition.
 

 

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SARA QUADRINI WINNER OF AWARD MASTERS IN ITALY

Mrs Sara Quadrini (Universita Degli Studi Di Camerino) is the first winner of the Alpro Foundation Award for Masters in Italy, with the thesis "Quantitative analysis of soyasaponins I and VI in lentils by SPE-HPLC-MS".

The € 2,500 prize was presented by Prof Sirtori, from the University of Milano, to Mrs Quadrini during a celebration at the University of Camerino on March 25. Prof Arnoldi focused in her presentation on "the impact of bioactive compounds from the plant on human health".

An Italian report of the winning thesis can be downloaded here.

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MELINA CLAUSSNITZER WINNER OF AWARD MASTERS IN GERMANY

Mrs Melina Claussnitzer (Technical University Munich) is the winner of the first German Alpro Foundation Award for Masters with the thesis "Effects of flavonoids on basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in adipocytes".

In her research on fat cells, Melina showed that certain flavonoids in very high concentrations, such as naringenin (from grapefruit), flavone (from cereal) and genistein and daidzein (from soya), obstruct glucose uptake in fat cells. This effect could be caused by direct interaction with the glucose transporter GLUT4. A raised GLUT4 function reduces the chances of type 2 diabetes, while a disturbed function increases the chance. In a normal diet these flavonoids have no impact on glucose uptake. With a normal consumption of daidzein (soya) there are even indications that more glucose is taken up. The research shows that the glucose transporter GLUT4 can play an important role in controlling glucose levels in the body and provides a basis for further research. The award (€ 2,500 prize) was presented on Tuesday, March 17 in Munich during the DGQ congress.

At this congress, Alpro Foundation hosted a symposium related to "Plant-based bioactive compounds"

  • Bioactive compounds of the plant and their role in a balanced diet (Prof Dr Helmut Heseker)
  • Effect of soya-substituted diet in children and adolescents with familial and polygenic hypercholesterolemia (Prof Dr Kurt Widhalm)
  • In vitro and in vivo metabolism of the soy isoflavones (Dr Sabine Kulling)
  • Impact of ApoE genotype on oxidative stress, inflammation and disease risk – is there a role for natural antioxidants ? (Prof Dr Gerald Rimbach)
  • Significance of secondary plant metabolites in human nutrition (Prof Dr Hannelore Daniel)
  • Effects of flavonoids on basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in adipocytes (Mrs Melina Claussnitzer)

 

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