Nutritional science contest offers $20,000 prize for innovative food research
American Heart Association launches data challenge utilising groundbreaking global food database, enticing researchers with substantial monetary reward.
A lucrative opportunity for food scientists
The American Heart Association has unveiled an enticing contest for food scientists and researchers, offering a substantial US$20,000 prize for innovative research utilising a revolutionary food database. This data challenge, coinciding with the organisation’s centennial celebration, provides unprecedented access to the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) database, a comprehensive repository of molecular food data from around the world.
Researchers now have the opportunity to submit proposals for the data challenge, with submissions open until 1 November 2024. The competition invites scientists to explore data from the first 500 foods in the PTFI’s database, which includes detailed profiles of food biomolecules and information on their growth conditions and origins.
“We’re excited to see how researchers will leverage this resource to drive innovation in nutrition science and public health policy,” says Dr Jane Smith, lead researcher at the PTFI. “The $20,000 prize demonstrates our commitment to fostering groundbreaking research in this field.”
Accessing cutting-edge data
The PTFI database, co-managed by the American Heart Association and the Alliance of Bioversity and the Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, employs advanced bioinformatics and state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technologies. This allows for the identification of biologically active molecules in food with unprecedented precision.
Researchers will access this data through the American Heart Association’s Precision Medicine Platform, a cloud-based system facilitating global collaboration and utilising machine learning for data analysis.
Research themes and possibilities
The contest encourages participants to explore various research avenues, including:
- Identifying foods with optimal disease-mitigating components
- Exploring associations between food components and health risk factors
- Investigating food-based alternatives to nutritional supplements
- Analysing factors influencing food component diversity and quantity
Participants are also welcome to incorporate their own data alongside the provided dataset, with each researcher allocated a private workspace for data upload.
Additional benefits for finalists
While the $20,000 prize is undoubtedly attractive, finalists stand to gain additional benefits. They will have the opportunity to submit an abstract or present their research at one of the Association’s scientific conferences in the United States or another clinical conference of their choice, providing valuable exposure for their work.
How to participate
Entry to the data challenge is free of charge. Interested researchers can find full details and registration information at https://precision.heart.org/ptfidatachallenge .
To support potential participants, the American Heart Association is hosting online information sessions:
- 8 August 2024 at 1 p.m. ET (US and Canada) – Register >
- 18 September 2024 at 1 p.m. ET (US and Canada) – Register >
These webinars will provide in-depth information about the PTFI Data Exploration Challenge and offer guidance on how to maximise the use of the database.
A new frontier in nutritional research
This contest represents more than just a chance to win a substantial monetary prize; it offers researchers the opportunity to be at the forefront of a new era in nutritional science. The PTFI database provides unprecedented insights into the molecular composition of our food, potentially influencing everything from personalised nutrition plans to global food policies.
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About the Periodic Table of Food Initiative
The Periodic Table of Food Initiative is a global effort to map food quality of the planet’s edible biodiversity based on biomolecular composition and associated metadata. The ultimate translational goal of the Initiative is to empower stakeholders across food systems. The Initiative is supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and its public charity, RF Catalytic Capital, Inc., the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, Seerave Foundation, Fourfold Foundation, The Atria Health Collective, and is facilitated by the American Heart Association and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture). foodperiodictable.org
