Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash
Researchers from the University of Reading (Alice Mauchline from SAPD, Yiorgos Gadanakis from SAPD, Anisha Wijeyesekera and Natalia Mansilla from FNS) worked in collaboration with other EIT Food partners to successfully deliver this exciting project, which aimed at using a challenge-based approach for students to explore the application potential of microbiomes in different parts of the food system, from primary production, to food transformation, waste valorisation and consumer health.
A total of 16 challenges were prepared by the industry partners and 32 students were recruited by the universities and divided into 8 groups.
Mentors from industry and academia helped the students develop their solution during a 6-month period.
On November 16, 2020, the student groups presented the outcome of their work during the final event and in front of a jury of experts. The first three groups were awarded with a monetary prize.