Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics
The mission of the Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics group is to contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of dietary nutrients and their impact on human health and metabolism. Particular attention is given to the role of dietary lipids and fiber.
The primary focus is on the key organs relevant for metabolism represented by the intestine, liver, and adipose tissue, and the interplay between these organs and other relevant systems such as the immune system and the microbiome. A multi-pronged approach is used that ranges from dietary intervention studies in human subjects to physiological experiments in transgenic animals and detailed mechanistic studies in vitro, supported by advanced nutrigenomics technology platforms. The research activities of the chair group are closely aligned with the activities of the other chair groups within the Division of Human Nutrition and Health. The key distinguishing feature of the chair group Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics is the strong emphasis on the application of molecular approaches in research and teaching on human nutrition and metabolism.
Studies are geared towards expanding our knowledge of the molecular physiology of nutrient metabolism in health and metabolic diseases and elucidating what key regulatory pathways go awry during disease development and aging. Research in the group covers the following main themes:
1. Molecular regulation of lipid metabolism.
The aim is to further understand the molecular regulation of lipid metabolism in liver, adipose tissue, and intestine, partly via elucidating the functional role of specific genes.
2. Immunometabolism , adipose tissue, and metabolic health.
The aim is to better understand the role of the adipose tissue and the immune system in metabolic dysregulation caused by overnutrition and characterize the underlying mechanisms using molecular and omics tools.
3. Nutritional regulation of intestinal health.
The focus is on the nutritional programming and systems biology of intestinal health, with special interest in dietary fiber, the gut microbiome, food digestion, transcriptomics, and epigenetics.
The group contributes to the curriculum of the BSc and MSc programme in Nutrition and Health at Wageningen University & Research by offering a variety of courses on topics ranging from nutrition and health to nutritional biochemistry, advanced metabolism, and nutrigenomics.
Key publications
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Characterization of ANGPTL4 function in macrophages and adipocytes using Angptl4-knockout and Angptl4-hypomorphic miceJournal of Lipid Research 60 (2019). - ISSN 0022-2275 - p. 1741 - 1754.
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Anti-inflammatory nutrition with high protein attenuates cardiac and skeletal muscle alterations in a pulmonary arterial hypertension modelScientific Reports 9 (2019)1. - ISSN 2045-2322
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Metformin Alters Human Host Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Healthy SubjectsThe Journal of Infectious Diseases 220 (2019)1. - ISSN 0022-1899 - p. 139 - 150.
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Disentangling the Effects of Monounsaturated Fat From Other Components of a Mediterranean Diet on Serum Metabolite Profiles: A Randomized Fully Controlled Dietary Intervention in Healthy Subjects at Risk of The Metabolic SyndromeMolecular Nutrition & Food Research 63 (2019)9. - ISSN 1613-4125 - 28 p.
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Preweaning nutrient supply alters mammary gland transcriptome expression relating to morphology, lipid accumulation, DNA synthesis, and RNA expression in Holstein heifer calvesJournal of Dairy Science 102 (2019)3. - ISSN 0022-0302 - p. 2618 - 2630.