The Teagasc Walsh Fellowships seminar organised in partnership with the RDS took place in Dublin today, Thursday, 9 November. Dr. Geraldine Duffy, Head of Food Safety at Teagasc was the guest speaker at the Walsh Fellowship Seminar and spoke about Foodborne Pathogens “Evolving Challenges and Opportunities.”
Dr. Duffy said: “Food safety is a prerequisite to protect the consumer and Ireland’s agri-food economic success and reputation both on the home and export market. Recent technology developments now being investigated by Teagasc food safety researchers including next generation sequencing of food pathogens, nanosensors, and novel food processing technologies, will enable enhanced detection and control of pathogen and support the Irish agri-food sector in addressing the challenges of an assured safe food supply into the future.”
The winner of the best oral presentation and winner of RDS medal was Sinead Morrin who is based at the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, and at University College Dublin. The title of her presentation was: Milkybiotics: modulating the intestinal surface to increase colonisation of health-promoting bacteria. She was presented with her medal by Tom Kirley, on behalf of the RDS.
Sinead Morrin also won the Best Food research presentation and the Institute of Food Science and Technology Ireland (IFSTI) medal. She was presented with the IFSTI medal by Declan Troy.
The award for the best poster went to Zhuning Wu who is based at the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown and also works with the National University of Galway. The title of Zhuning Wu’s presentation was: Biophysical, biochemical and biological properties of pepsin soluble type II collagen from mammalian and marine tissue sources for cartilage regeneration.
Thirteen Ph.D. Walsh Fellow Students made oral presentations today at the seminar, on their research findings. In addition, 29 Walsh Fellows produced and displayed posters outlining their research. A book of abstracts of the presentations and posters is available online at Teagasc Walsh Fellowships Seminar 2017.
Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle said: “Our Walsh Fellowships Post-graduate Programme, which supports more than 250 Ph.D. and M.Sc. students annually, is a critical element in building our international alliances. In the coming years, we will register close on 25% of our students in international universities. In addition, through our Short-Term Overseas Awards Programme, we will facilitate up to 20 more students, who are registered in Irish Institutions, to spend up to three months in some of the best global research organisations. This is a massive commitment by Teagasc and our funders to ensuring that Irish food and agriculture will have the best internationally trained postgrads to support its future growth.”
