Dom Byrne is a freelance radio and podcast producer based in Brighton Growing up in the last years of the Cold War motivated Gabriele Jacobs to enter academia and play her part in building peaceful societies Jacobs works at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where she researches the role artificial intelligence (AI) can play in public safety and the ethical debate surrounding this. She describes how experiments are being conducted on beaches in the Netherlands to see if AI can be used to predict human behaviour legal and social implications of this use of AI and question who has the power to choose the definitions used in the algorithms Jacobs’ work addresses Sustainable Development Goal Number 16: to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and justice for all This is episode 16 of How to Save Humanity in 17 Goals a Working Scientist series podcast that profiles scientists whose work addresses one or more of the SDGs Episodes 13–18 are produced in partnership with Nature Sustainability doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02902-8 Paid content: La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF) In this podcast series from LISAF at La Trobe University in Australia we’ll hear how groundbreaking work is driving the university’s holistic approach to food security This ‘paddock-to-gut’ philosophy is successfully delivering innovative research and significant academic and industry partnerships Professor of Food Science and Director of the Centre for Food Science at La Trobe University discusses how researchers from multiple disciplines are working with farmers and food producers to develop and test new plant-derived foods with improved quality Find out more about this type of paid content a podcast brought to you by Nature Careers This is the series where we meet the researchers working towards the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations and world leaders in 2015 thousands of academics have been using those targets to tackle the biggest problems that the planet faces today Each episode ends with a sponsored slot from La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food in Melbourne where we hear about how its researchers are focusing on the SDGs we look at Sustainable Development Goal Number 16: to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and justice for all And meet a behavioural scientist in the Netherlands who studies how artificial intelligence algorithms used in the surveillance of our towns and cities I'm a professor in organizational behaviour and culture at Erasmus University in the Netherlands My background is in psychology and sociology we are working on the role of artificial intelligence and public safety and we are here looking into how different players in society from different sectors and different professional backgrounds are contributing towards public safety and which role artificial intelligence can play in this The goal of the Sustainable Development Goal Number 16 is that we should promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development Sustainable development here has a broad understanding to provide access to justice for all and to build effective accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels I was very much concerned with if you want peaceful and inclusive societies on a general level or in a larger sense I quite often think that my German background and my upbringing at the let's say because I always felt that science education research is an extremely powerful tool to create fair and just societies I was very much brought up in the understanding that we should do everything we can to prevent war and to prevent anything that has happened in Germany I felt that joining academia might be a very good way to do this and the main task I see here in Europe is indeed to make peaceful and inclusive societies as much as possible safety and security are core aspects of the wellbeing of nations we need to feel safe and our security needs to be protected also in the sense of our property rights need to be protected for us to develop wellbeing and economic welfare on a general level in our societies But what we see is that the topic of safety and security became in the last decades actually a topic that mainly ended up on right wing populist agendas What we also see here is that safety and security is typically seen from the risk perspective So it is always about danger and always about things that could happen to us and things we need to prevent and we have seen after 9/11 that the investments into private security This is a little bit of a combination that we see the private industry has an interest to sell their devices and also to tell us how dangerous the world is and how much we need to protect ourselves with all kinds of tools and gadgets against the dangers Right wing populists use this very handily; their agenda The technology developments around safety and security have and one of the latest developments here is the use of artificial intelligence Here it is interesting that artificial intelligence is quite often also seen as a threat in itself narratives we also feed in the media where we feel threatened by a technology we don't understand or where we feel that it has a lot of our potential I started a project two years ago where we look into the use of artificial intelligence in public safety But here we also had a starting point to look into the potential emancipatory power of artificial intelligence for public safety We are looking into how can artificial intelligence in the public sector be used in such a way that it is indeed of service for peaceful and inclusive societies and can enhance sustainability So in our project on artificial intelligence and public safety who actually is in charge of public safety which means we are all responsible for public safety This is not something that is only the task of the government or that this is mainly the task of the police So what we therefore look at is when we use artificial intelligence in public safety which is used very successfully in many contexts we see that there are quite some very effective ways of using artificial intelligence to guide us more safely through cities But we also see that at the start of the development of an algorithm in artificial intelligence or a tool in which we use artificial intelligence So who defines there is a feeling of unsafety So this is something that we are looking into quite intensively we see a development that citizens feel that the understanding of “Do I feel unsafe?” has quite often nothing to do with crime the crime development is going - in all Western societies - in the right direction we should feel safer in our streets than ever before or that people behave in a way that they don't want people to behave And there I just said they - so the question is Who is defining that when a couple of young people are hanging at the corner with our project on artificial intelligence and public safety feel that the government should use artificial intelligence The first thing we looked at was into demonstrations Here we looked into manifestations of Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion is an activist group fighting against climate change and trying to raise awareness also a small way how we try to contribute to peaceful and inclusive societies That we generally try to understand both sides and really walk with both sides and get a deeper understanding there One first insight we got there is that activists were convinced that the police were using artificial intelligence the fear of artificial intelligence had an effect But we also see that just the fear of artificial intelligence might also have an effect on also how the police is working that they start to feel a little bit more insecure and also take countermeasures than themselves interesting is that artificial intelligence can have an effect without even being there artificial intelligence is used in public spaces One example here is the boulevard at the sea and one of the places close to the Hague of the Netherlands What is happening here is that there are systematic experiments done with artificial intelligence in order to test out how artificial intelligence can help us to keep public places safe but also with other data that is collected how many people will be at the beach or will come to the beach on a sunny day And how we can then best guide these people either how to park their cars or also how to come there big traffic jams on an extremely hot day with But there are also other experiments done which try to predict behaviour of groups on the beach attempts to predict if there is aggressive behaviour within a group It does not only test the technical possibilities but it also tests (and this is why we are there with our project why this for our projects are interesting) the ethical so there are a lot of different challenges that need to be solved here What kind of municipality do we want to be Do we want to be a municipality that is constantly surveying the public That somewhere in the background somebody is taking care of us Or is the idea that we want to be very well informed about what happens to our data aggressive behaviour in a group is actually a problem Is aggressive behaviour when I'm dancing and screaming or is rough play already aggressive behaviour Is it something that we define “It is appropriate to go with five people to the beach So we see when we look into these algorithms and how they are used and developed and which norms are considered as deviant behaviour Who defines the norms that are baked into these algorithms With our project in artificial intelligence and public safety that we want to raise awareness that artificial intelligence can be extremely useful but we need to learn to master and use it well What we are trying to do with our project is to connect people who usually maybe won't easily talk to each other to contribute in this way to a more inclusive solution towards artificial intelligence and public safety Because we really believe that all voices are needed for public safety and that we need to maybe relearn to talk to each other again because what we see in our project is that especially the conversations between unusual alliances When you think about my work towards SDG 16 when I look at the last European elections and when I see what is happening around us I see also so many of our students and colleagues keeping on working towards peaceful and inclusive societies Join us again next time when we look at Sustainable Development Goal Number 17: to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize global partnerships next up we'll hear how researchers at La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food in Melbourne are working towards the targets set by the UN and welcome to this podcast series from the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food at La Trobe University in Australia I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the lands where La Trobe University campuses are located in Australia and to pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures you’ll hear from academics at the top of their fields as they discuss groundbreaking research happening at the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food La Trobe has developed a holistic approach to food security and this ‘paddock-to-gut’ philosophy is delivering innovative research and significant academic and industry partnerships across the entire value chain Its success so far can already be seen in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings which measure university performance against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals La Trobe was ranked first in Australia and fifth globally for SDG 2: Zero Hunger stay tuned to hear first-hand about the research of LISAF as it delivers innovative solutions for sustainable and nutritious food production in a resource and climate-constrained world LISAF aims to integrate the entire value chain from food production to consumer health and nutrition the Centre of Food Science is the one that is bridging the gap between agriculture Our main objectives of the Centre is drive technological innovation in food science We’re trying to enhance food quality and functionality but also we’re aiming to facilitate industry collaboration and commercialization train the next generation of food scientists That includes alternative proteins from plant or microbial sources utilizing plant fibre in food and nutrition and utilizing the vast stream of by-products that come from food processing The second area is focusing on reducing health-risk ingredients trying to find healthier alternatives to sugars but also looking at food allergens and other digestive inhibitors that come along with many new materials that we now feed into the food supply chain the impact of sustainable diets on the gut microbiome also looking at digestibility and bioavailability of micronutrients of plant-based foods and also creating functional foods that have a substantiated health benefit Professor Buckow says this holistic approach to food science is vital Food is a very complex and non-homogeneous material typically consisting of multiple ingredients featuring different textures and we need to ensure a high standard of food safety if you want to come up with a better solution for food systems there’s no way around than looking at a holistic approach integrating multiple disciplines in our research to provide a complete picture of a food system also understanding the interconnectivity of food production part of Professor Buckow’s research involves reaching out to consumers It helps ensure that any innovation and or product development meets consumer needs the consumer is absolutely critical in most you use product testing panels to test new food formulations or new ingredients and how palatable they are we’d reach out to consumers through surveys and questionnaires We have consumer focus groups to understand trends and what is the next big thing we hold workshops and interactive sessions with consumers We use social media a lot these days to engage the community online and encourage feedback from consumers We do use data analytics and market research to understand which categories are growing or shrinking we hold public events and go to food expos to showcase our research and novel products and That consumer research is then passed on to the food-manufacturing sector for use in house We hold regular workshops and training programmes for companies to present the latest findings in nutrition and consumer research depending on the food manufacturers’ areas of interest I would say that we include nutrition and consumer science in all of our research projects to make sure that whatever we are trying to address when we are developing a more sustainable process actually does meet consumer needs and that those voices are still heard and we include that in our recommendations for the client so that they integrate that in their strategy which can comprise trained or untrained participants Here’s Professor Buckow talking through how the two panel types differ So you invite hundreds of people to try a product and just seek general feedback and you need a high number of people to have a representative section of the population or of your market Or you have a trained panel where you invite 20 consumers and you train them specifically to detect differences and they can taste certain aspects because they know what to look for The trained one is really if you want to find nuances and very specific things if you want to launch a new product and before you actually go into production and put it in the market shelf you want to get proper feedback from a large size of the population Professor Buckow says finding the necessary resources and funding for research projects is always a challenge But researchers at the Centre for Food Science also face some psychological hurdles There’s a lot of culture connected to food and food occasion There’s a lot of traditions and many companies don’t like to switch their formulation or their diets We don’t want to change – even though there may be a better or cheaper way to do it – because we value our traditions Certain products or lifestyle choices becoming popular through social media also presents an issue for an industry that can’t physically adapt as fast as an algorithm can consumer trends tend to be created online by influencers and it’s really really difficult to predict what becomes a trend And often the trend is not based on solid science – it’s perception Somebody endorses a particular food product and suddenly you have a movement and it’s very difficult to adjust to that overnight for an industry these are the main challenges that I can see from my perspective and how we stay ahead of the trend The next step for the Centre for Food Science is laying the groundwork for future research we’re still establishing our research priorities We’re also building up infrastructure and labs and equipment We’re forming partnerships with industry and other research institutions nationally We’ve started to launch a few pilot projects to showcase our capability and identify areas that really tick the boxes in terms of industry and consumer needs We’re very busy writing research proposals to monitor and evaluate that we are on the right track We want to build sustainable and resilient food systems technological advances and data utilization Our vision for the future is really to become a leader in food innovation nationally Join us for the next episode in the series where we will be exploring the social impact of adapting agriculture to climate change Why the green-technology race might not save the planet Nickel production is notoriously dirty — here’s how to make it greener Spain adapts to new reality as climate crisis hits home Walking in two worlds: how an Indigenous computer scientist is using AI to preserve threatened languages The use of AI in peer review could undermine science Science sleuths flag hundreds of papers that use AI without disclosing it How I honed my biopharma dealmaking and business-development skills after my PhD Can Germany rein in its academic bullying problem POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW Post Summary of the role The Characterisation & Processing of Advanced Materials HT is an interdisciplinary research institute created and supported by the Italian government whose aim is to develop innovative strategies to pr.. UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus Department of Energy and Environmental Materials and advance cancer research in a leading translational institute Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science This website uses cookies to ensure you get a better experience has been appointed Professor of Food Science and Director of the Centre for Food Science has been appointed Professor of Food Science and Director of the Centre for Food Science at La Trobe University Professor Buckow joins La Trobe from the University of Sydney where he was a Professor of Practice in Food Engineering He has also worked as a Principal Scientist and Research Manager at CSIRO and was the Chief Technology Officer of All G Foods an innovative biotech startup at the forefront of technological innovations in next-generation dairy and meat products Professor Buckow specialises in sustainable food and beverage manufacture design of new food structures and textures and the development of safe and healthy foods using advanced food processing technologies Professor Buckow said he is excited to be joining La Trobe University “I am passionate about developing healthier and more sustainable food systems and I look forward to working with the team at La Trobe to come up with some innovative solutions to complex challenges.” “Some of the research that we will tackle includes reducing the cost of making plant-based bioengineered foods and how we can improve their flavour and texture,” he says welcomed Professor Buckow to La Trobe University “Professor Buckow’s appointment will greatly expand our research capabilities in food quality and sustainability.” “He will lead the establishment of a new Centre for Food Science within the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food our world leading Agrifood research and training institute,” Professor Collin said “His appointment will undoubtedly strengthen our School’s reputation for world-class research in sustainable and nutritious food production.” Nation's $327bn care sector to be transformed by La Trobe initiative Globally recognised expert appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker fluorescent-lit enclosure dropped atop a fragment of landscape this small swatch of land evokes its own set of associations the installation serves to isolate and objectify the landscape all images courtesy of alexander levy fabian knecht’s newest and largest variation of ‘isolation’ comprises three connected galleries which together enclose 180 square meters of land within germany’s märkische schweiz national park the once boundless landscape is now rendered as a figural composition remaining fully isolated within the gallery walls and further enclosed by the fourth wall of photographic representation the work lends the contradictory experience that is the picturesque charm of discovering nature in its untouched state within the fluorescent white box visitors are first blindfolded and then dropped into the architecturally framed landscape without having seen the structure or its surroundings from the outside.  knecht continues: ‘however the teleported visitor relates to the situation it seems that knecht’s box frames everything outside it too every tree and puddle surrounding the structure become benefactors of a heightened psychological investment in twigs how long will it take for this uncanny perspective on the world beyond the artwork to wear off?‘ project title: isolation (52°33’44.1”N 14°03’12.8”E) location: buckow when: september 7th — 22nd 2019 | daily 1 — 6 pm AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style The Faculty of Engineering has welcomed the arrivals of newly appointed Professor of Practice Roman Buckow and Dr Damian Frank who both join the faculty after respective careers with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Both join the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and will conduct their research as members of the Centre for Advanced Food Enginomics (CAFE) Professor Roman Buckow arrives from the CSIRO with a wealth of knowledge and experience in large scale food processing in particular extrusion and non-thermal food processing His research activities span a vast range of areas related to food engineering and the development of safe and healthy food ingredients and products through advanced food processing technologies he will be working to forge new links between the university and industry in addition to building on his strong track record of successful commercial adaptation in dairy meat and legume processing and product innovations “I am excited to be able to contribute to the extensive research being undertaken in the area of food engineering here at the University of Sydney,” said Professor Buckow “I am attracted to the holistic and applied food science focus shown by my new colleagues here at CAFE and I look forward to collaborating with them to address the major challenges of our future food systems.” Professor Buckow has authored over 90 articles and chapters on nutrition engineering and food safety and currently presides over both the International Association of Engineering and Food and the Australian Food Engineering Association He is joined by Dr Damian Frank a food chemist and sensory food specialist in flavour and nutrient chemistry Dr Frank’s latest research explores the development of new ways to measure the role of saliva in flavour development in the mouth and how it affects individual perception “Australia has some of the best agricultural produce in the world and access to some of the most creative and innovative food industry players,” said Dr Frank “By being able to apply my skills here at the University of Sydney and work with some very talented minds I hope to grow Australia’s amazing potential as a high value exporter of food as well as adding to our reputation as a foodie destination.” Dr Frank previously developed and applied a number of novel instrumental techniques to understanding food quality while at CSIRO including gas chromatography olfactometry to characterise aroma and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry for real time measurement of flavour and non-volatile flavours “I am pleased to welcome two highly skilled and experienced experts who have been heavily involved in research translation and taking ideas from laboratory to commercial scale,” said Professor Fariba Dehghani, Director of the Centre for Advanced Food Enginomics. “They are both widely recognised in their highly respective areas of food research and bring with them more than a decade of experience working in, and engaging with, industry. “Both will bolster our centre’s research capacity in future food engineering and support our goals of overcoming the challenges that face our society relating to food and food processing.” News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology 07-Jun-2023 Last updated on 07-Jun-2023 at 05:30 GMT With the world’s population projected to reach nearly 10bn by 2050, the planet “simply does not have the resources” to provide food for all its human inhabitants, opined Roman Buckow, Chief Technology Officer of All G Foods. “We saw an opportunity to take the best that nature has to offer — in terms of cow’s protein — and complement it with science and cutting-edge technology to develop cultured dairy proteins via precision fermentation. The goal is to bring high-quality and tasty Australian-made dairy products to local and global consumers,” Buckow told FoodNavigator-Asia. Backed by a team of scientists with years of experience in the field, the firm has raised AUD41m (USD33m) in the past two years. “A good portion of the money raised has been used to build a world-class precision fermentation facility in Sydney. We will be spending a significant portion of the remaining funds for our R&D and upscaling process,” said Dr Jared Raynes, Chief Scientific Officer of All G Foods. The firm’s key focus is on producing casein, lactoferrin and whey proteins that are able to replicate the taste and nutritional functions of dairy products. “Although there are no finished products as yet, we hope to apply the proteins from milk to chocolate and everything in between. We aim to launch our first product in Singapore by the end of next year. “The streamlined regulatory process in Singapore will help us bring products to market as quickly as possible. Also, the country’s ‘30 by 30’ initiative is an important stimulus for alternative protein companies like us,” Buckow revealed.  All G Foods’ first finished product and its format will depend on consumer insights research that the firm is planning to commence. “We will be conducting surveys in Singapore, Australia, China and the US, to find out the main drivers of the dairy category in these markets, and whether consumers’ purchase decisions are affected by price points, sustainability labels, etc. Once we gather all these insights, the team will work on new product development for the specific markets,” said Renée Enman, Head of Communications & Corporate Affairs at All G Foods. For instance, in markets with a high prevalence of lactose intolerance, the firm will tailor its products based on the needs of the local consumers. “Our plan is to expand into Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East as key markets in the near future. Over the next five years, we want to grow our technology and scale up production so that we can inspire new generations around the globe, particularly in APAC and possibly North America,” Buckow added.   All G Foods believes that its “incredibly strong scientific and technical team” is what sets the company apart from other precision fermentation firms around the world. “I have been working on precision fermented casein proteins for 10 years now. We also have Dr Carl Holt, who is considered the top expert in casein proteins with over 40 years of research experience, as a sole advisor. “We currently have several pending patent applications. Notably, we have made terrific progress in producing lactoferrin via precision fermentation. It is a highly valuable protein found in very low concentrations in cow’s milk, which is extremely difficult to reproduce using this technology, so it really showcases our expertise and knowledge,” Dr Raynes shared. According to Buckow, the edge which precision-fermented milk has over other milk alternatives is that it is made from actual dairy proteins. “Alternative dairy is often perceived as just plant-based milk, but what we are doing has a very different narrative. We are not trying to convert a plant-based protein into a dairy protein. There are some great milk alternatives in the market, but none of them truly replicates the taste and function of cow’s milk. “Precision fermentation technology offers the opportunity to create milk proteins that taste identical to and that have the same nutritional profile as regular dairy milk. It supplements the existing dairy industry with more sustainable dairy ingredients, and provides a means to greater food security in the future,” said Buckow. When it comes to cost and pricing, Dr Raynes said that the firm’s first products are likely to be on the “premium end”. “However, we are continuously improving our protein strains to produce more. As production capacity increases, the cost of production will fall. There will come an inflection point where the price of precision-fermented dairy could go below that of traditional dairy,” he added. From tumour risk to microbiome harm: FAO and WHO debunk four cell-based meat misconceptions17-Apr-2023By Si Ying ThianThe FAO and WHO have debunked four key misconceptions and concerns surrounding cell-based meat, spanning tumour risk to a negative impact on the microbiome. Precision fermentation adds value to food supply chain, not competition – Perfect Day24-Jan-2023By Hui Ling DangPerfect Day is teaming up with big players like Nestle and Unilever to broaden the applications of its whey protein, while leading new innovations through precision fermentation. Biscuits & Cookies: How can dark cocoa and chocolate help capture untapped market potential?Paid for and in partnership with Cargill The ‘invisible aroma’: The pastry chefs shaping next-gen vanilla Paid for and content provided by Takasago The rise of dairy butter equivalents: A ‘scalable, future-proof’ solutionPaid for and content provided by Bunge Berlin is awesome, but sometimes you just have to get out! We've picked out some beautiful villages in the area for you! Berlin is a city with many facets, but sometimes you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city! Luckily, there are many beautiful villages around Berlin that are perfect for a day trip. Here are our favorites! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tobias Neumeister (@twobeers66) This charming village is located about 60 kilometers southwest of Berlin and is known for its asparagus plantations in spring which was used to treat war injuries in the 20th century from which you have a great view of the forest there is also a high ropes course or you can take the zipline course for an adrenaline rush high above the treetops View this post on Instagram Strausberg is located around 30 kilometers east of Berlin and offers the perfect contrast to the big city. Here you can stroll through the picturesque old town, which is characterized by cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. The nearby Straussee lake is a wonderful place for bathers and water sports enthusiasts. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Menzy Menzales (@menzymenzalesfotos) About an hour’s drive from Berlin is the historic village of Buckow, nestled in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Märkische Schweiz Nature Park. Here you can hike, cycle or simply enjoy the picturesque landscape. The historic old town of Buckow is a feast for the eyes with its many charming half-timbered houses and street cafés. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Holger Eibrecht (@lionholg) One of the most charming villages in the north of Berlin is Zernikow. Here you can visit the beautiful Zernikow estate, where wonderful events are held regularly. Hike through the countryside, enjoy a picnic by the lake and relax in the idyllic village. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tourist-Information Zehdenick (@visit_zehdenick) The village of Zehdenick is located around 60 kilometers north of Berlin and is known for its picturesque main street along the river with historic bridges and buildings Some popular attractions include the Brickworks Park where visitors can learn about the history of the brick industry in the region a picturesque canal that is perfect for a peaceful bike ride or walk