In a landmark Indo-global collaboration, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Tufts University (USA) are establishing an Interdisciplinary Centre for Nutrition Science and Medicine in Bengaluru. This initiative will act as a national hub for nutrition and metabolic health research, addressing major public health issues such as obesity, anemia, hypertension, and diabetes.

Focus Areas of the Nutrition Centre

The new centre will lead cutting-edge research in:

• Public health nutrition & food science
• AI-driven metabolic and microbiome analytics
• Genetics and epigenetics in nutrition
• Early-stage disease detection and prevention
• Geriatric nutrition and healthy ageing

“This collaboration will help India create evidence-based public health policies in nutrition,” said officials from both IISc and Tufts.

Why This IISc-Tufts Partnership Matters

• India faces a dual burden of malnutrition and rising non-communicable diseases.
• There’s an urgent need for data-driven, scalable nutrition interventions.
• The centre will work closely with government agencies to influence nutrition strategy, food fortification, and dietary behaviour change campaigns.

This partnership also complements the National Nutrition Mission (Poshan Abhiyaan) by providing scientific backing for policy improvements.

Technology Meets Health: AI & Genomics at the Core

The centre will utilize:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect at-risk populations early
• Wearable sensors and real-time dietary tracking tools
• Genomic and microbiome mapping to personalize dietary interventions

This positions India to lead globally in tech-driven nutritional science.

Key Takeaways:

• IISc and Tufts University are setting up a global-standard nutrition research centre in Bengaluru.
• The focus spans AI in nutrition, metabolic health, microbiome research, and public health nutrition policy.
• The initiative aims to improve the health of Indians across all age groups, from infants to the elderly.

Source: Times of India – IISc & Tufts University to Launch Nutrition Science Centre in Bengaluru