Inga Sarand

To sustain life and its quality on Earth, the EU has established several initiatives for the implementation of the Green Deal: Zero Pollution Action Plan, Farm to Fork and Green Deal Industrial Plan, among many others. All of these require significant innovation, based on new knowledge and skills – research, training and education – coupled with industry adaptation, civil society engagement and smart regulation, which is a challenge globally. More importantly, we need significantly more people who can carry out this innovation. The main objective of “Innovative Chemistry and Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future” (INNOCHEMBIO) is to train future experts of sustainable chemistry and biotechnology, helping Europe to take the next steps in the green transition. The solutions and trained experts can reduce the environmental impact of the chemical and agricultural industries, offer eco-friendly analytical techniques, and assess the safety of new materials. This will be achieved through interdisciplinary research projects in an international research environment, collaboration with the industry, the public sector and the civil society, via a comprehensive quadruple-helix based training programme. As a result, our graduates will not only become experts in their respective fields, but leaders and spokespersons. Eventually, through dedicated career planning, we provide skilled workforce to all 4 sectors of the helix. INNOCHEMBIO is an international consortium led by TalTech, with over 100 years of experience in chemistry and biotechnology research and training. INNOCHEMBIO will achieve its objectives by recruiting 15 PhD candidates in up to two calls offering fellowships for 48 months. During this period, the candidates will receive discipline specific training both in Estonia and abroad by working on their research project; broader training through courses offered at TalTech and by our partners; and experience working in the private sector.

Functional foods for gastrointestinal health represent a rapidly evolving field in food and health sciences.The aim of this project is to develop novel health-promoting food solutions using postbiotics, i.e. bioactive compounds produced by bacteria. Unlike probiotics, postbiotics do not contain live microorganisms, making them safer and easier to use in food processing. The project focuses on a Ligilactobacillus salivarius strain that has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, the ability to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric epithelial cells and to reduce cancer cell self-renewal in live bacterial cultures and in cell-free supernatants. The project will identify the compounds responsible for these effects and evaluate their stability during food processing and their impact on product shelf life. The results will be validated in food matrices and production processes, including fermentation. The project will lead to the development of new functional food solutions.

According to OECD, Estonia is one of the EU countries where obesity and diabetes are most prevalent. According to WHO, every fifth child in Estonia is overweight. Therefore, our task is to help people reduce their consumption of sugar, salt, and fat, which are associated with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The Estonian food industry is already committed to food reformulation, transforming former sinners in to saints. For example, muffin, which has been a delightful dessert in the past, has now become a food with reduced sugar, extra fiber and with a Nutriscore value B. However, its health impact is noticeable only when the taste is equally enjoyable and consumers accept it. This reformulation project explores sweet-tasting and healthy peptides and oligosaccharides to replace added sugars, the synergy of flavor compounds and salt, and the effect of fats on flavour. We aim to have a positive impact on public health without compromising quality, safety and taste.