h3. Contact
Coordinator: dr. Angelic van der Aar
Email: aar.vd.a@hsleiden.nl
h3. Description
Although most people regularly cook, they generally do not consider the science behind it. During the preparation of food a tremendous amount of physical, chemical en biological processes are taking place. To understand what happens when we cook food, you need to be familiar with the underlying biological, chemical and physical principles.
The fundamental science of cooking will be covered through four themes:
Food chemistry, Physiology and health, Physics of food and water, Microbiology and food safety.
Do you ever wonder what the influence of food is on the functioning of the body? In this theme, science of cooking: Physiology and Health, you will learn aspects from human physiology that are related to cooking, digestion and nutrition from a health perspective. You will review on various diseases related to food digestion, perform a research on the effects of food on the microbiome, learn about the genetic and physiologic aspects in tasting food and investigate the scientific basis of food claims/rules.
h3. Learning goals
Learning Objectives:
Students can explain the physiological principles behind metabolism of food.
Students can describe the effects of food on metabolism and health.
Students can explain the relation between genomics and food and to apply genomics in food-related research questions.
Students can describe the properties of various (macro)molecules in food.
Final Qualifications:
Students know and understand the scientific foundations (theories, methods, techniques) of physiology and health related to food and cooking, and can understand scientific publications in the field.
Students can relate the various scientific disciplines and use an interdisciplinary approach to analyze a problem and generate solutions.
Students can document and present results.
h3. Timetable
Period: September – January
Or: February - June
h3. Mode of instruction
Lectures, practicals, tutorials.
h3. Assessment method
The grade will be based on a written exam.
h3. Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for communication and exchange of documents
h3. Reading list
Course materials will be provided by the teachers.
h3. Registration
Registration with cv and motivation letter via aar.vd.a@hsleiden.nl. Deadline for registration is October 15th, 2017.
This elective program can host max. 24 students. A basic knowledge in the natural sciences is required; students of the Faculty of Science of Leiden University and students from the laboratory educations of Leiden University of Applied Sciences are welcome to register. The following admission requirements apply: minimal 3rd-year university students or 3rd- or 4th-year HBO students that meet the entry requirements for a minor of their educational programme*.
There will be a selection procedure for students who meet the entry requirements. Therefore, students are required to submit a curriculum vitae and a motivation letter. In addition, the motivation letter should describe an idea for a food science experiment that the student would like to carry out. Selection is done by the teaching staff, in which the following criteria are important: study results, motivation, English skills, and forming a well-balanced, diverse group of students.
*For HLO students: the students should have their propaedeutic (1st year) diploma of the Bachelor of Biology and Medical Laboratory Research or of the Bachelor Chemistry at least 10 days before the start of the minor programme and should meet the regular entry requirements for a minor.