On June 19, 2019, Professor Carlos Conte formally established the Food Analysis Center (NAL). With an innovative approach, NAL is dedicated to research and knowledge development in the food sector. In its first year, NAL built its structure, though some projects were delayed due to that year’s events. Nonetheless, the work continued.
In one year, NAL graduated 10 post-graduate students, established a partnership with the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (USA), secured three research grants, participated in four events, developed an outreach project, published 44 articles, and received 811 citations.
We interviewed NAL’s coordinator, Professor Dr. Carlos Conte Jr., who shared insights into his journey, NAL’s goals, and what to expect from the center in the years to come.
1 – How did your interest in the food sector begin?
I became interested in the food field during my Veterinary Medicine studies at the Fluminense Federal University. At the time, I had the opportunity to do scientific research in the Department of Food Technology, under the guidance of Professor Sergio Borges Mano. That experience helped me see the significance of veterinarians not only in animal production but also in food analysis and quality assurance. During this period, I also developed a strong affinity and interest in scientific research focused on food. Later, I pursued a Master’s degree in the Food Science program at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro’s Institute of Chemistry under Professor Joab Trajano da Silva. I knew then that food science was the area where I wanted to focus my academic and professional career.
2 – How did NAL come into existence?
NAL was founded from our interest in combining scientific research with the need to offer services to society in food quality control. NAL provides us with the technical and scientific structure to support and further enhance our scientific output in both quantity and quality, allowing us to spread this knowledge through services to public and private educational institutions, research sectors, services, and industry.
3 – How will NAL operate, and what resources will it use?
NAL will be housed within the LADETEC facilities, leveraging their structural resources and logistics in the most efficient way possible. This setup will allow our team to streamline scientific production in all areas. We will also organize our team into smaller groups, with each service line having collaborators who possess the specific expertise necessary to ensure quality in our laboratory analyses and results.
4 – What is the importance of having a food analysis center in Rio de Janeiro?
In my view, the major significance of having a Food Analysis Center is that the service delivery and scientific research are aligned and consolidated under one structure. This is a key differentiator compared to other food analysis centers in Rio de Janeiro. I am confident that our service offerings, based on prior experience from our research and scientific output, will enable us to stay up-to-date, providing a solid, scientifically grounded service.
5 – What does this center mean for student education?
Our multidisciplinary team believes that science and scientific research are pillars of any country’s or nation’s development. We want to train future students and researchers who can go beyond current knowledge and become discoverers of new concepts, rather than just repeaters of existing information. NAL will accelerate the critical development process for our students and facilitate the practical application of our knowledge, which will be returned to society through our services.
6 – NAL conducts research and services. Can you tell us a bit about the research projects being developed and their importance to society?
Currently, we have research projects that yield results ranging from basic science to applications for industry, regulatory bodies, and societal services. These projects include: (I) studying non-thermal methods applied to food, (II) oxidative processes in these matrices, (III) assessing the survival and development of spoilage organisms and pathogens using predictive microbiology, (IV) determining chemical and biological contaminants in foods, (V) identifying and characterizing functional biomolecules, (VI) studying the biochemical stability of meat and fish using proteomics and metabolomics techniques, (VII) applying bioinformatics tools for epidemiological and molecular characterization of pathogens, and (VIII) developing bioactive products using nanotechnology.
7 – And the services? What can NAL offer, and to whom?
We do not intend to limit our services to any specific group or sector. Any company, individual, educational and research institution, or organization, whether public or private, may request our technical and scientific services in the food sector. Generally, our services cover three main areas: conventional and molecular microbiology, food physical-chemical analyses, and sensory analyses. Specifically, we offer services in bioinformatics for molecular microbiology, non-thermal food preservation methods, molecular epidemiology of pathogens, shelf-life determination, pathogen detection, food fraud detection, and oxidative processes in foods.
8 – Finally, what can we expect from NAL in the coming years?
We aim to meet the demands of everyone who needs our services by delivering quality results in our proposed technical-scientific activities. Additionally, we plan to reinvest part of the funds we generate back into our research, elevating the scientific quality of our work, which contributes to UFRJ’s recognition as a leading research institution. In the coming years, we aspire to become established in food analysis services with the concept of university-business-quality-society and to position ourselves in Brazil as the reference analytical and molecular center in private, public, and academic sectors.
To learn more about NAL, its research, and services, visit our website here.