Webinar Advances in Food Nutritional Biochemistry: Omics, Bioavailability and Gut Health

The webinar “Advances in Food Nutritional Biochemistry: Omics, Bioavailability, and Gut Health”, scheduled for 25 February 2026, will bring together leading international researchers to discuss recent advances at the intersection of food science, nutritional biochemistry, omics technologies, and gut health. Chaired by Dr. Gianfranco Picone and Dr. Mattia Santoni (University of Bologna, Italy), the webinar will highlight the role of multi-omics approaches in understanding food bioactive compounds, digestion, bioavailability, and microbiota–host interactions. The scientific program will feature invited lectures covering a wide range of topics.

Dr. Andrew P. Neilson (North Carolina State University, USA) will present “Polyphenols: a strategy to inhibit production of trimethylamine, a gut microbial metabolite associated with aging and atherosclerosis”, focusing on dietary polyphenols as modulators of harmful microbial metabolites linked to cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Carmen Espinòs (University of Valencia / INCLIVA, Spain) will discuss “Potential gut microbiota-associated biomarkers in Wilson disease”, highlighting microbiota alterations driven by pharmacological treatments and opportunities for microbiota-targeted interventions.

Dr. Julia Castillo González (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) will deliver the lecture “Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids as regulators of gut barrier integrity and bacterial translocation in stroke”, exploring the role of SCFAs in the brain–immune–gut axis and post-stroke recovery.

Dr. Chenglin Zhu (Southwest Minzu University, China) will present “Effects of postbiotic/Bletilla striata polysaccharides synbiotics on transcriptional regulation, metabolic homeostasis and gut microbial remodeling in the liver of obese mice”, illustrating how multi-omics approaches can unravel diet-induced obesity mechanisms.

The final talk, “MICODE platform for Functional Assessment of innovative bakery foods towards the Gut Microbiota”, will be given by Dr. Lorenzo Nissen (San Raffaele Telematic University, Italy), who will introduce an advanced in vitro colon model to evaluate functional foods, alternative proteins, and fermentation strategies.

The webinar will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, followed by closing remarks from the Chairs, summarizing key insights and future perspectives in food nutritional biochemistry, gut microbiota research, and functional food development.