TResearch Winter 2022
Type Magazine
Better by design - Our researchers are using novel technologies to enhance the health and wellness benefits of foods
Download Publication (PDF)
In this edition
Team Spotlight
A helping hand - The work Teagasc’s Research Support Team does to assist researchers in their funding needs and reduce their administrative burden plays an integral part in Teagasc’s success.
Gettting to know
Getting to know Philip Creighton - Research Officer Philip Creighton currently leads the Sheep Grassland Systems research programme at Teagasc Athenry. Here, he explains the influence his sheep farming background had on him and what he enjoys most about grassland research.
Interview
Bioprocess Innovation Suite - Following years of planning, Teagasc Moorepark is set to launch its new Bioprocess Innovation Suite – a one-stop shop for bioprocess development, optimisation and scale-up. Leading the project is Principal Research Officer at Teagasc Food Research Centre Olivia McAuliffe. Here, she gives us an insight into this exciting expansion and why it’s so significant for Teagasc’s research platform and the wider industry.
Back in time
Unearthing buried secrets - As well as being the rumoured burial place of St Nicholas, the deserted medieval village of Newtown Jerpoint has many secrets about rural life in medieval Ireland waiting to be discovered.
Look ahead
Decarbonising Ireland’s farms - Teagasc researchers are exploring ways in which farmers can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and improve their energy efficiency.
Events
Events my take-home message - Teagasc’s researchers attend many events throughout the year, sharing the findings from their research with national and international audiences. Here, we capture take-home messages – the key pieces of information that our researchers want people to remember – from recent events.
Also in this edition
Pig welfare and water use - Novel Teagasc study finds providing pigs with a high enrichment allowance reduces water usage and wastage.
Measuring the value of plants with DNA - Teagasc researchers are using DNA technologies to improve the efficiency of plant selection and deliver highly digestible cultivars.
The benefits of fermented milk - There are a number of potential gut health benefits associated with the fermentation of milk using lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which can be accessed in powdered form.
Off the start line - Teagasc’s START Fund proactively supports researchers in proving early-stage concepts, deepening connections and cooperation with companies during concept development and determining market potential.
Wild potato genes - Researchers are studying the genes of wild potato species in the hopes of finding a novel approach to mitigating crop losses caused by the persistent late blight disease.
Advancing vitamin analysis in foods - Researchers at Teagasc and Sapienza University of Rome are developing and validating methods for the measurement of fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins in foods.
Algae a natural source of pain relief - Molecules within algae are being used to develop functional foods and medication to relieve pain and inflammation.
The myths of calving at 24 months - Contrary to popular belief, calving beef heifers at 24 months of age has no negative implications on subsequent lifetime performance when compared to calving heifers at 36 months.
Looking for pastures NUE - Researchers from Teagasc, University College Cork and University College Dublin have come together to reduce the output of ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrate emissions from grazing dairy cows.
Technologies for today and tomorrow - Teagasc experts are highlighting how technologies are being used to turn the challenges of sustainability into opportunities on Irish farms.
Generational bonding - Pictured are a bonded cow and calf at grass on a crisp morning, taken as part of a study investigating the effect of pasture-based cow-calf contact from birth to weaning, measured by looking at dairy cow and calf health, welfare, production and labour.