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Food plays a massive part in our everyday lives. However, the huge and varied impact that what we eat has on our health is not always clear. This event will get you to think about the different ways in which food can affect our bodies; from improving eye health by eating our greens and how Salmonella is such a successful food-borne pathogen, to the rather odd concept of our diet impacting our gut bacteria and ultimately how we think. We will make you really think about what is going on your plate!
Living With Stress: Salmonella From Farm to Fork & Beyond
Dr Gary Rowley
(Lecturer of Molecular Microbiology at the University of East Anglia )
The kids, the house, the job - the stresses of life can be too much for us all sometimes but invariably we must adapt to our circumstances and respond to the challenge - so does the bacterium Salmonella. From a lettuce in a farmer's field on a hot summer's night to the acidic conditions of the human stomach, and every life cycle stage in between, Salmonella encounters very different stressful situations. Here we will look at the reasons why Salmonella is such a successful pathogen of humans and animals and point to some potential Achilles’ heels that might be targeted with novel drugs.
Eat Your Greens and Wear Sunglasses: Steps to Cataract Prevention
Dr Michael Wormstone
(Lecturer of Biomedical Sciences at the University of East Anglia )
Eyes are the windows to the soul; so doing what you can to keep them healthy is of interest to us all. Cataract causes blindness in millions of people across the globe, and costs billions in healthcare bills. So can something as simple as eating broccoli, really help to protect our delicate eyes from damage?
You Are What You Feed Them
Professor Michael Müller
(Professor of Nutrigenomics at the University of East Anglia )
Our microbiota (our personal collection of microorganisms) adapts rapidly to changes in our diet with important effects on our health. A poorly functioning gut microbiota has been linked to several metabolic complications and complex diseases. Can we develop strategies to specifically target the gut and its microbiota to prevent liver diseases or even, fascinatingly, to influence how we think?
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