Molecular nutrition (the study of interactions between nutrients and various intracellular and extracellular molecules) is one of the most rapidly developing fields in nutritional science.
Food items contain numerous bioactive components or their precursors, including the sources of energy and the building block of life, such as amino acids. These bioactive components deliver crucial signals and have important functions in the growth, development, health and longevity of the consumer. In the section for Molecular Nutrition the research is focused on the identification, isolation and characterization of such bioactive food components in physiological systems.
The section consists of five research groups located in two different laboratory environments: Protein Chemistry Laboratory and Laboratory of Cellular Ageing.
Protein Chemistry Laboratory houses the research groups led by Jan Trige Rasmussen, Christian Würtz Heegaard, Torben Ellebæk Petersen and Esben Skipper Sørensen. These groups work on the structural and functional characterization and exploitation of milk components and their effects on various physiological conditions such as effects on the immune system, cholesterol metabolism, cancer, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases.
Laboratory of Cellular Ageing houses the research group led by Suresh Rattan. The group works on elucidating human cellular ageing processes and on testing ageing-interventional factors, including bioactive nutritional components.