FUNDACIÓN IMDEA NUTRICIÓN

Their core work

IMDEA Nutrición is a Madrid-based research institute specializing in precision nutrition and the molecular mechanisms linking diet to metabolic disease. Their work focuses on identifying food-derived bioactive compounds that can prevent or treat conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other disorders of dietary excess. They combine molecular biology techniques (such as small open reading frame research) with nutritional science, and contribute to European food and nutrition data infrastructure through cloud-based platforms.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With all three projects starting between 2018 and 2019, the timeline is too compressed to identify a clear shift in focus. Their early coordinated work (LIPMETIN-sURFing) was fundamental molecular biology, while their later participation in FNS-Cloud signals a willingness to engage with applied digital infrastructure for food systems. The move from purely bench-science coordination to participation in a large-scale data platform suggests a broadening toward translational and data-driven nutrition research.

Moving from fundamental metabolic research toward applied food-nutrition data systems, suggesting readiness for larger translational and digital health consortia.

How they like to work

IMDEA Nutrición prefers to lead — they coordinated 2 of their 3 projects, both smaller Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships where they served as host institution. Their one participant role was in FNS-Cloud, a larger Innovation Action with a broad consortium. With 36 unique partners across 15 countries from just 3 projects, they are comfortable in diverse international teams and not limited to a small circle of repeat collaborators.

Despite only 3 projects, they have built connections with 36 partners across 15 countries, primarily through the large FNS-Cloud consortium. This gives them a broad European network concentrated in the food and nutrition research community.

What sets them apart

IMDEA Nutrición sits at the intersection of molecular biology and applied nutrition — they can go from studying open reading frames at the gene level to characterizing food compounds for disease prevention. As part of Madrid's IMDEA network of research institutes, they have institutional backing and infrastructure that standalone labs lack. Their dual capability in fundamental science and food-system data platforms makes them a versatile partner for projects bridging discovery and application.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LIPMETIN-sURFing
  Coordinated an MSCA Global Fellowship investigating the under-explored role of small open reading frames in metabolic disorders — a niche but potentially high-impact research direction.
• FNS-Cloud
  Their largest funded project (EUR 226K share), connecting them to a pan-European consortium building shared data infrastructure for food and nutrition security.