Blueberry Project Signals Start of International Collaborations
Contact: Dorothy Klimis-Zacas (207) 581-3124; David Munson (207) 581-3777
A cooperative project between UMaine and University of Milan researchers to examine the bioavailability of anthocyanins from blueberries may signal the start of an ongoing relationship between the two universities.
The project, led by UMaine Professor of Clinical Nutrition Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, sprang from a visit to the University of Milan’s Department of Food and Microbiological Sciences and Technology (DiSTAM) last September. With funding provided by UMaine’s Office of the Vice President for Research, Klimis-Zacas and assistant professor of food microbiology Vivian Wu toured DiSTAM’s facilities and presented the research interests and current projects of UMaine’s Nutrition and Food Science faculty, with the intention of establishing academic relationships and encouraging research collaborations between the two universities.
Klimis-Zacas hopes to expand the current collaboration in the coming months to include research into the role blueberries can play in protecting DNA molecules from damage, and plans to return to the University of Milan during her upcoming sabbatical to develop a microcirculation model for studying the effects of diabetes on the eye.
The September visit came at the request of Maine First Lady Karen Baldacci, who is working with Governor John Baldacci to encourage trade between the state of Maine and Italy. The faculty of both institutions were enthusiastic about the possibility of additional collaborations in the future.