GRK 738:  Molecular Mechanisms in Food Toxicology

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: from 2002 to 2005
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 273361

Food safety is a major public and scientific concern. Food toxicology investigates the impact of natural and synthetic compounds present in food on human health, taking into account dangerous effects such as carcinogenicity, allergy, immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity on the one side and the potential for the prevention of disease on the other side. It is the aim of the international research training group "Molecular Mechanisms in Food Toxicology" to contribute to the understanding at a molecular level of pathways by which food compounds exert their toxic or preventive effects. While there is a focus on molecular biological techniques to study signal transduction, gene expression and cell cycle control in most of the 10 projects, electrophysiological and analytical methods as well as neurobehavioral testing are also applied. The models used range from cell culture systems to perfused organs and intact animals. The expected research results can contribute to the setting of health-based standards and to the elaboration of preventive strategies for human health. The accompanying educational programme covers a broader spectrum of toxicology, exceeding the highly specialized area of food toxicology in which the students conduct their research, teaching theoretical knowledge in all the central areas of toxicology. It is expected that the students when leaving the research training group will find jobs in a wide variety of toxicologically oriented workplaces in academia, industry and administration.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Applicant Institution: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• IRTG-Partner Institution: University of Maastricht ; Department of Toxicogenomics; University of Utrecht ; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Participating Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Regine Kahl (†)
• Participating Researchers: Dr. Jac M.M.J.G. Aarts; Professor Dr. Josef Abel; Dr. Gerrit M. Alink; Professor Dr. Aalt Bast; Professor Dr. Hermann Maximilian Bolt; Professor Dr. Paul J.A. Borm; Professorin Dr. Gisela H. Degen; Professorin Dr. Johanna Fink-Germmels; Professor Dr. Ernst Gleichmann; Professorin Dr. Helga Gleichmann-Töpper; Professor Dr. Jost Kleinjans; Dr. Henk van Loveren; Professorin Dr. Ivonne Rietjens; Professor Dr. Helmut Sies; Professor Dr. Wilhelm Stahl; Dr. Hans Temmink; Dr. Ricarda Thier; Professor Dr. Hermann Wiegand; Professor Dr. Michael Wilhelm; Professor Dr. Frank Wunderlich; Dr. Thomas Zoeller