Metabolomics in food and nutrition

An ERA Chair is a prestigious project funded by the European Commission through Horizon Europe’s “Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence” initiative. It supports institutions in regions with lower research performance by enabling them to recruit top researchers and implement structural changes that foster long-term scientific excellence. The ERA Chair holder prof. dr. Urška Vrhovšek leads a research team, enhances institutional capacity, and raises international visibility. The ERA Chair Foodomics (Metabolomics in food and nutrition) project, hosted by the University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty, aims to establish a leading research center in metabolomics focused on food and nutrition. Foodomics combines food science, nutrition, and omics technologies to study how food influences health at the molecular level. With €2.5 million in funding, the project runs from 2025 to 2030 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Nataša Poklar Ulrih.

ERA Chair focuses on developing new analytical methods, improving food quality and traceability, understanding environmental and microbiota-driven impacts, and enabling personalized nutrition.

The initiative strengthens Slovenia’s innovation ecosystem, supports education, and contributes to sustainability and digital transformation in food systems.