A variety of genomes have already been sequenced or are in the process of being sequenced. Thus, we now have a wealth of genetic information that can be linked to human nutrition, metabolism, and food sciences. These data will greatly assist in characterizing the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the effects of nutrition on human metabolism. For example, this newly acquired information permits the detailed study of the effects of genetic variability and gene polymorphisms on metabolism of nutrients and other food components. Furthermore, it will allow us to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that govern changes in gene expression by nutrients. Certain transcription factors such as the nuclear hormone receptors likely play an important in nutrient-dependent transcriptional control of gene expression. The field of nutrigenomics is expected to provide a new conceptual framework for the development of novel foods that may promote health and prevent disease.
The masterclass will start with a general introduction on relevant basic aspects of nutrigenomics. Special attention is paid to the role of nutrient-dependent gene regulation by nuclear hormone receptors. The participants will be briefly introduced into topics and techniques such as genomics (genome analyses by DNA sequencing), transcriptomics (analysis of gene expression using microarrays), proteomics (large scale characterization of protein expression) and metabolomics (large scale characterization of metabolites and protein function) in connection with nutritional research (nutrigenomics). Furthermore, the importance of the use of animal models (e.g. transgenic or knock-out mice) or cell lines for nutrigenomics research will be discussed. The use of microarrays and bioinformatics will be discussed in interactive sessions. In the second part of the masterclass the focus will be on the impact of nutrigenomics and will address the question how the basic results can be applied to the development of healthy food products. Participants are encouraged to present their results in the form of a poster.