Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

The content of lectures is divided into four parts:
(1) Introduction. Developments in Microbiology. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell forms. Structure and characteristics of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites. Classification of important microorganisms in foods. Microbial growth and metabolism. Indicator microorganisms in foods. Traditional and novel methods for cultivation, isolation and enumeration of microorganisms in foods. Origin of microorganisms in foods.
(2) Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microorganisms in foods - temperature, water activity, pH, atmosphere, radiation and other factors. Use of preservatives and methods to improve storage stability of foods. Fermentation and other profitable uses of microorganisms in food production.
(3) Food-borne illness caused by microorganisms. Most important causes of food-borne illness. Food intoxications and infections. Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and other pathogens in foods.
(4) Microbiology of primary food commodities. Microbiology of sea-foods, meat products, milk products, drinking water, vegetables and fruits. Sources of microorganisms found in primary food commodities, micro-flora of different foods, influence of processing and handling on survival of microorganisms and spoilage of foods by microorganisms. Laboratory classes cover basic principles in handling, cultivation and isolation of microorganisms. Cultural methods for isolation and enumeration of most important microorganisms in foods. Each student writes an essay about new topics in food microbiology and gives a short lecture.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK317G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry and nutrition are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion groups, seminars, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. Two practicals are executed: Kidney function or Digestion/metabolism control and Exercise physiology. One laboratory report, discussion hour and practical exam are part of each practical. There is an obligatory attendance to all practicals and discussion seminars, and an obligatory submittance of the reports. Each student gives one lecture at a seminar and presents one question practical of his/her own choice with an obligatory submittance of the presentation slides (powerpoint slides). There are 4 short exams during the semester and 3 of them form part of the semester grade.  There is a 75% obligatory attendance to the seminars and question practicals, and to all short mid-term

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

Students get to know the main focuses in nutrition counseling for diseases as well as learning to recognize risk factors and the pathogenesis of various diseases. The goal is also for students to learn to assess nutritional status, fluid balance and nutritional needs and to know different nutritional treatments, such as tube feeding, intravenous nutrition and other special diets.

Practical exercises: clinical exercises based on the NCP and practical examples in collaboration with LSH's nutrition advisor. Assessment of nutritional status, nutritional needs and nutritional treatment of different patient groups. (biochemical parameters related to nutritional status). Student lectures.

Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 1 is an essential foundation for Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 2

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

The Flexitarian Diet course aims to introduce students to how food choices affect human and earth health. It is important to keep in mind that what we eat affects not only our own health but also our earth's health. With human and earth health in mind, our diet includes more vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains than a more traditional diet. The course will cover the basics of flexitarian diet and how we can change food choices for the benefit of ourselves and the planet. By changing food choices, it would be possible to reduce the risk of various diseases, produce enough food for everyone and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The role of nutrition in training and its impact on sports performance are the subjects of this course. Emphasis is placed on examining relevant topics being discussed in the society at any given time; in particular aspects of youth training and attitudes towards nutrition related factors among youth.

The main focus is on macronutrients, their roles and variations in requirements for different training. Also, the role of age, gender, body image and physique will be discussed. It will also address the need for water, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, antioxidants and dietary supplements in connection with training.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends that often affect the consumer habits and attitudes of young people.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup:
The course is based on lectures and one seminar. It is expected that students participate in discussion and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge of nutrition in order to choose the course. Assessment is based on the seminar and a home exam. Attendance in the seminar is obligatory.

The role of nutrition for sports performance is the subject of this course, which is in continuation of the course Nutrition and training in youth. Emphasis is placed on deepening the knowledge already gained. Project work will focus on aquiring practical skills based on menu planning and calculations, reviewing special needs in performance sports, for example during comptetition and resting periods, during preparation phases, in competition and in recovery. Weight management is also examined in disciplines where weight categories are relevant.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends within certain disciplines.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup
The course is based on lectures and project work in small groups. It is expected that students participate in discussions and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge in nutrition in order to choose the course. Also students should be enrolled in the course Nutrition and training in youth. Assessment is based on project work.

The course provides insight into the importance of infectious microorganisms in patient care and in other fields of nursing.  The aim is to prepare students for their future role in patient management and in the safety of patients and caregivers.  This will enable them to react to known and new pathogens and to limit the transmission of infectious agents, health-care associated infections and antibiotic resistance.  The principal characteristics of important pathogens are addressed, including their virulence and the resulting infections and means to combat infections are discussed.

The course is taught in parallel with LÍF110G.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course focuses on statistical analysis using the R environment. It is assumed that students have basic knowledge of statistics and will learn how to apply statistical methods they know in R. Main topics are loading data, graphical representation, descriptive statistics and how to perform the most common hypothesis tests (t- test, chi-square test, etc.) in R. In addition, students will learn how to make reports using the knitr package.

The course is taught during a five week period. A teacher gives lectures and students work on a project in class.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

The course is a practical course with weekly supportive lectures.  The lectures provide heroretical background of the instrumental methods and the instruments. The supportive lectures are part of lab exercises and attendance is compulsory.

The students learn about modern methods and instruments used in analytical chemistry based on interaction between chemical- and physical properties of the substances and the electromagnetic field. Chromatographic methods used to separate mixtures into single pure compounds will be introduced.  The focus of the course is the analysis of organic compounds.

Laboratory work: Fluorimetry, atomic absorption, spectrophotometry and applications of IR, UV and visible and NMR spectroscopy. Gas- and liquid (HPLC) chromatography. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The objective of the course is to provide students with insight into the use of specialized pharmaceutical analytical methods. Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry is used for the identification and quantification of active substances and metabolites in pharmaceuticals and biological samples. These methods include titrations, spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis, IR, AAS, AES), liquid chromatographic methods (TLC, HPLC, UPLC), electrophoretic methods (CE), gas chromatography (GC), and mass spectrometry (MS).

Chromatographic methods used for drug testing will be presented. Analytical methods used for isolation and drug identification, as well as methods used for quantitative drug analysis. Spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography (LC) in visible and ultraviolet light.Zero, first, second and third order reactions. Effect of temperature and pH on reaction. Effects of salts, solubilizes and surfactants on chemical reactions. Hydro- and lipophilicity. Flow of drugs through organic membranes.Practical exercises: Separation and quantification of HPLC, determination of pKa values, hydrolysis, phase distribution and diffusion through organic membrane.Reports: Each student / group submits reports from each exercise.Requirements: A student should be able to calculate linear regression and perform simple statistical data processing with software (such as excel).

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main methods of product development and to train students in the use of consumer-driven methods in the development of food products. Students develop a consumer-oriented product and receive guidance in prototyping methods, selection of raw materials, experimental setup, scale-up, and the regulatory framework that must be followed when creating new foods. Students will also learn how sensory evaluation is used in product development and receive training in sensory evaluation of their own product. 

The development of the product will be made in team (prototyping and entrepreneurial training) but some assignments of the course are individual.  

Subject: 

Fundamentals of food product development.  

What will be discussed: 

• Idea search, idea filtering, prototype development (lecture as well as hands-on work) and scale-up to production  
• The use of experimental design for filtering and optimizing products in product development 
• The use of sensory evaluation in product development 
• The main innovations in environmentally friendly proteins 
• The relationship between food legislation and intellectual property rights in product development  

Real examples of product development at companies will be covered. 

Practical: A product will be developed from an idea to a prototype and presented at the end of the course through an oral presentation.  

In the course, students become acquainted with sensory evaluation sciences and how sensory evaluation is used to assess the properties of food. How to evoke, measure and evaluate the sensory properties of food and the different methods used in sensory evaluation will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on traditional sensory assessment methods (differential tests, graphical tests, hedonic tests, etc.), and how these methods are used in different situations such as quality control and product development. Methods in consumer research will be explained. Factors influencing sensory evaluation, the organization of sensory evaluation research (preparation, presentation of samples, choice of methods, etc.) will also be discussed, as well as sensory evaluation groups (selection and training) as well as statistical analysis and interpretation of sensory evaluation results. The teaching is in the form of lectures, as well as practical exercises under the guidance of a teacher.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.

Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.

Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?

In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.

Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

The content of lectures is divided into four parts:
(1) Introduction. Developments in Microbiology. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell forms. Structure and characteristics of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites. Classification of important microorganisms in foods. Microbial growth and metabolism. Indicator microorganisms in foods. Traditional and novel methods for cultivation, isolation and enumeration of microorganisms in foods. Origin of microorganisms in foods.
(2) Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microorganisms in foods - temperature, water activity, pH, atmosphere, radiation and other factors. Use of preservatives and methods to improve storage stability of foods. Fermentation and other profitable uses of microorganisms in food production.
(3) Food-borne illness caused by microorganisms. Most important causes of food-borne illness. Food intoxications and infections. Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and other pathogens in foods.
(4) Microbiology of primary food commodities. Microbiology of sea-foods, meat products, milk products, drinking water, vegetables and fruits. Sources of microorganisms found in primary food commodities, micro-flora of different foods, influence of processing and handling on survival of microorganisms and spoilage of foods by microorganisms. Laboratory classes cover basic principles in handling, cultivation and isolation of microorganisms. Cultural methods for isolation and enumeration of most important microorganisms in foods. Each student writes an essay about new topics in food microbiology and gives a short lecture.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK317G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry and nutrition are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion groups, seminars, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. Two practicals are executed: Kidney function or Digestion/metabolism control and Exercise physiology. One laboratory report, discussion hour and practical exam are part of each practical. There is an obligatory attendance to all practicals and discussion seminars, and an obligatory submittance of the reports. Each student gives one lecture at a seminar and presents one question practical of his/her own choice with an obligatory submittance of the presentation slides (powerpoint slides). There are 4 short exams during the semester and 3 of them form part of the semester grade.  There is a 75% obligatory attendance to the seminars and question practicals, and to all short mid-term

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

Students get to know the main focuses in nutrition counseling for diseases as well as learning to recognize risk factors and the pathogenesis of various diseases. The goal is also for students to learn to assess nutritional status, fluid balance and nutritional needs and to know different nutritional treatments, such as tube feeding, intravenous nutrition and other special diets.

Practical exercises: clinical exercises based on the NCP and practical examples in collaboration with LSH's nutrition advisor. Assessment of nutritional status, nutritional needs and nutritional treatment of different patient groups. (biochemical parameters related to nutritional status). Student lectures.

Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 1 is an essential foundation for Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 2

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

The Flexitarian Diet course aims to introduce students to how food choices affect human and earth health. It is important to keep in mind that what we eat affects not only our own health but also our earth's health. With human and earth health in mind, our diet includes more vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains than a more traditional diet. The course will cover the basics of flexitarian diet and how we can change food choices for the benefit of ourselves and the planet. By changing food choices, it would be possible to reduce the risk of various diseases, produce enough food for everyone and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The role of nutrition in training and its impact on sports performance are the subjects of this course. Emphasis is placed on examining relevant topics being discussed in the society at any given time; in particular aspects of youth training and attitudes towards nutrition related factors among youth.

The main focus is on macronutrients, their roles and variations in requirements for different training. Also, the role of age, gender, body image and physique will be discussed. It will also address the need for water, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, antioxidants and dietary supplements in connection with training.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends that often affect the consumer habits and attitudes of young people.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup:
The course is based on lectures and one seminar. It is expected that students participate in discussion and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge of nutrition in order to choose the course. Assessment is based on the seminar and a home exam. Attendance in the seminar is obligatory.

The role of nutrition for sports performance is the subject of this course, which is in continuation of the course Nutrition and training in youth. Emphasis is placed on deepening the knowledge already gained. Project work will focus on aquiring practical skills based on menu planning and calculations, reviewing special needs in performance sports, for example during comptetition and resting periods, during preparation phases, in competition and in recovery. Weight management is also examined in disciplines where weight categories are relevant.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends within certain disciplines.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup
The course is based on lectures and project work in small groups. It is expected that students participate in discussions and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge in nutrition in order to choose the course. Also students should be enrolled in the course Nutrition and training in youth. Assessment is based on project work.

The course provides insight into the importance of infectious microorganisms in patient care and in other fields of nursing.  The aim is to prepare students for their future role in patient management and in the safety of patients and caregivers.  This will enable them to react to known and new pathogens and to limit the transmission of infectious agents, health-care associated infections and antibiotic resistance.  The principal characteristics of important pathogens are addressed, including their virulence and the resulting infections and means to combat infections are discussed.

The course is taught in parallel with LÍF110G.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course focuses on statistical analysis using the R environment. It is assumed that students have basic knowledge of statistics and will learn how to apply statistical methods they know in R. Main topics are loading data, graphical representation, descriptive statistics and how to perform the most common hypothesis tests (t- test, chi-square test, etc.) in R. In addition, students will learn how to make reports using the knitr package.

The course is taught during a five week period. A teacher gives lectures and students work on a project in class.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

The course is a practical course with weekly supportive lectures.  The lectures provide heroretical background of the instrumental methods and the instruments. The supportive lectures are part of lab exercises and attendance is compulsory.

The students learn about modern methods and instruments used in analytical chemistry based on interaction between chemical- and physical properties of the substances and the electromagnetic field. Chromatographic methods used to separate mixtures into single pure compounds will be introduced.  The focus of the course is the analysis of organic compounds.

Laboratory work: Fluorimetry, atomic absorption, spectrophotometry and applications of IR, UV and visible and NMR spectroscopy. Gas- and liquid (HPLC) chromatography. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The objective of the course is to provide students with insight into the use of specialized pharmaceutical analytical methods. Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry is used for the identification and quantification of active substances and metabolites in pharmaceuticals and biological samples. These methods include titrations, spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis, IR, AAS, AES), liquid chromatographic methods (TLC, HPLC, UPLC), electrophoretic methods (CE), gas chromatography (GC), and mass spectrometry (MS).

Chromatographic methods used for drug testing will be presented. Analytical methods used for isolation and drug identification, as well as methods used for quantitative drug analysis. Spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography (LC) in visible and ultraviolet light.Zero, first, second and third order reactions. Effect of temperature and pH on reaction. Effects of salts, solubilizes and surfactants on chemical reactions. Hydro- and lipophilicity. Flow of drugs through organic membranes.Practical exercises: Separation and quantification of HPLC, determination of pKa values, hydrolysis, phase distribution and diffusion through organic membrane.Reports: Each student / group submits reports from each exercise.Requirements: A student should be able to calculate linear regression and perform simple statistical data processing with software (such as excel).

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main methods of product development and to train students in the use of consumer-driven methods in the development of food products. Students develop a consumer-oriented product and receive guidance in prototyping methods, selection of raw materials, experimental setup, scale-up, and the regulatory framework that must be followed when creating new foods. Students will also learn how sensory evaluation is used in product development and receive training in sensory evaluation of their own product. 

The development of the product will be made in team (prototyping and entrepreneurial training) but some assignments of the course are individual.  

Subject: 

Fundamentals of food product development.  

What will be discussed: 

• Idea search, idea filtering, prototype development (lecture as well as hands-on work) and scale-up to production  
• The use of experimental design for filtering and optimizing products in product development 
• The use of sensory evaluation in product development 
• The main innovations in environmentally friendly proteins 
• The relationship between food legislation and intellectual property rights in product development  

Real examples of product development at companies will be covered. 

Practical: A product will be developed from an idea to a prototype and presented at the end of the course through an oral presentation.  

In the course, students become acquainted with sensory evaluation sciences and how sensory evaluation is used to assess the properties of food. How to evoke, measure and evaluate the sensory properties of food and the different methods used in sensory evaluation will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on traditional sensory assessment methods (differential tests, graphical tests, hedonic tests, etc.), and how these methods are used in different situations such as quality control and product development. Methods in consumer research will be explained. Factors influencing sensory evaluation, the organization of sensory evaluation research (preparation, presentation of samples, choice of methods, etc.) will also be discussed, as well as sensory evaluation groups (selection and training) as well as statistical analysis and interpretation of sensory evaluation results. The teaching is in the form of lectures, as well as practical exercises under the guidance of a teacher.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.

Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.

Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?

In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.

Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

The content of lectures is divided into four parts:
(1) Introduction. Developments in Microbiology. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell forms. Structure and characteristics of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites. Classification of important microorganisms in foods. Microbial growth and metabolism. Indicator microorganisms in foods. Traditional and novel methods for cultivation, isolation and enumeration of microorganisms in foods. Origin of microorganisms in foods.
(2) Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microorganisms in foods - temperature, water activity, pH, atmosphere, radiation and other factors. Use of preservatives and methods to improve storage stability of foods. Fermentation and other profitable uses of microorganisms in food production.
(3) Food-borne illness caused by microorganisms. Most important causes of food-borne illness. Food intoxications and infections. Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and other pathogens in foods.
(4) Microbiology of primary food commodities. Microbiology of sea-foods, meat products, milk products, drinking water, vegetables and fruits. Sources of microorganisms found in primary food commodities, micro-flora of different foods, influence of processing and handling on survival of microorganisms and spoilage of foods by microorganisms. Laboratory classes cover basic principles in handling, cultivation and isolation of microorganisms. Cultural methods for isolation and enumeration of most important microorganisms in foods. Each student writes an essay about new topics in food microbiology and gives a short lecture.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK317G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry and nutrition are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion groups, seminars, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. Two practicals are executed: Kidney function or Digestion/metabolism control and Exercise physiology. One laboratory report, discussion hour and practical exam are part of each practical. There is an obligatory attendance to all practicals and discussion seminars, and an obligatory submittance of the reports. Each student gives one lecture at a seminar and presents one question practical of his/her own choice with an obligatory submittance of the presentation slides (powerpoint slides). There are 4 short exams during the semester and 3 of them form part of the semester grade.  There is a 75% obligatory attendance to the seminars and question practicals, and to all short mid-term

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

Students get to know the main focuses in nutrition counseling for diseases as well as learning to recognize risk factors and the pathogenesis of various diseases. The goal is also for students to learn to assess nutritional status, fluid balance and nutritional needs and to know different nutritional treatments, such as tube feeding, intravenous nutrition and other special diets.

Practical exercises: clinical exercises based on the NCP and practical examples in collaboration with LSH's nutrition advisor. Assessment of nutritional status, nutritional needs and nutritional treatment of different patient groups. (biochemical parameters related to nutritional status). Student lectures.

Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 1 is an essential foundation for Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 2

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

The Flexitarian Diet course aims to introduce students to how food choices affect human and earth health. It is important to keep in mind that what we eat affects not only our own health but also our earth's health. With human and earth health in mind, our diet includes more vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains than a more traditional diet. The course will cover the basics of flexitarian diet and how we can change food choices for the benefit of ourselves and the planet. By changing food choices, it would be possible to reduce the risk of various diseases, produce enough food for everyone and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The role of nutrition in training and its impact on sports performance are the subjects of this course. Emphasis is placed on examining relevant topics being discussed in the society at any given time; in particular aspects of youth training and attitudes towards nutrition related factors among youth.

The main focus is on macronutrients, their roles and variations in requirements for different training. Also, the role of age, gender, body image and physique will be discussed. It will also address the need for water, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, antioxidants and dietary supplements in connection with training.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends that often affect the consumer habits and attitudes of young people.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup:
The course is based on lectures and one seminar. It is expected that students participate in discussion and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge of nutrition in order to choose the course. Assessment is based on the seminar and a home exam. Attendance in the seminar is obligatory.

The role of nutrition for sports performance is the subject of this course, which is in continuation of the course Nutrition and training in youth. Emphasis is placed on deepening the knowledge already gained. Project work will focus on aquiring practical skills based on menu planning and calculations, reviewing special needs in performance sports, for example during comptetition and resting periods, during preparation phases, in competition and in recovery. Weight management is also examined in disciplines where weight categories are relevant.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends within certain disciplines.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup
The course is based on lectures and project work in small groups. It is expected that students participate in discussions and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge in nutrition in order to choose the course. Also students should be enrolled in the course Nutrition and training in youth. Assessment is based on project work.

The course provides insight into the importance of infectious microorganisms in patient care and in other fields of nursing.  The aim is to prepare students for their future role in patient management and in the safety of patients and caregivers.  This will enable them to react to known and new pathogens and to limit the transmission of infectious agents, health-care associated infections and antibiotic resistance.  The principal characteristics of important pathogens are addressed, including their virulence and the resulting infections and means to combat infections are discussed.

The course is taught in parallel with LÍF110G.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course focuses on statistical analysis using the R environment. It is assumed that students have basic knowledge of statistics and will learn how to apply statistical methods they know in R. Main topics are loading data, graphical representation, descriptive statistics and how to perform the most common hypothesis tests (t- test, chi-square test, etc.) in R. In addition, students will learn how to make reports using the knitr package.

The course is taught during a five week period. A teacher gives lectures and students work on a project in class.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

The course is a practical course with weekly supportive lectures.  The lectures provide heroretical background of the instrumental methods and the instruments. The supportive lectures are part of lab exercises and attendance is compulsory.

The students learn about modern methods and instruments used in analytical chemistry based on interaction between chemical- and physical properties of the substances and the electromagnetic field. Chromatographic methods used to separate mixtures into single pure compounds will be introduced.  The focus of the course is the analysis of organic compounds.

Laboratory work: Fluorimetry, atomic absorption, spectrophotometry and applications of IR, UV and visible and NMR spectroscopy. Gas- and liquid (HPLC) chromatography. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The objective of the course is to provide students with insight into the use of specialized pharmaceutical analytical methods. Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry is used for the identification and quantification of active substances and metabolites in pharmaceuticals and biological samples. These methods include titrations, spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis, IR, AAS, AES), liquid chromatographic methods (TLC, HPLC, UPLC), electrophoretic methods (CE), gas chromatography (GC), and mass spectrometry (MS).

Chromatographic methods used for drug testing will be presented. Analytical methods used for isolation and drug identification, as well as methods used for quantitative drug analysis. Spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography (LC) in visible and ultraviolet light.Zero, first, second and third order reactions. Effect of temperature and pH on reaction. Effects of salts, solubilizes and surfactants on chemical reactions. Hydro- and lipophilicity. Flow of drugs through organic membranes.Practical exercises: Separation and quantification of HPLC, determination of pKa values, hydrolysis, phase distribution and diffusion through organic membrane.Reports: Each student / group submits reports from each exercise.Requirements: A student should be able to calculate linear regression and perform simple statistical data processing with software (such as excel).

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main methods of product development and to train students in the use of consumer-driven methods in the development of food products. Students develop a consumer-oriented product and receive guidance in prototyping methods, selection of raw materials, experimental setup, scale-up, and the regulatory framework that must be followed when creating new foods. Students will also learn how sensory evaluation is used in product development and receive training in sensory evaluation of their own product. 

The development of the product will be made in team (prototyping and entrepreneurial training) but some assignments of the course are individual.  

Subject: 

Fundamentals of food product development.  

What will be discussed: 

• Idea search, idea filtering, prototype development (lecture as well as hands-on work) and scale-up to production  
• The use of experimental design for filtering and optimizing products in product development 
• The use of sensory evaluation in product development 
• The main innovations in environmentally friendly proteins 
• The relationship between food legislation and intellectual property rights in product development  

Real examples of product development at companies will be covered. 

Practical: A product will be developed from an idea to a prototype and presented at the end of the course through an oral presentation.  

In the course, students become acquainted with sensory evaluation sciences and how sensory evaluation is used to assess the properties of food. How to evoke, measure and evaluate the sensory properties of food and the different methods used in sensory evaluation will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on traditional sensory assessment methods (differential tests, graphical tests, hedonic tests, etc.), and how these methods are used in different situations such as quality control and product development. Methods in consumer research will be explained. Factors influencing sensory evaluation, the organization of sensory evaluation research (preparation, presentation of samples, choice of methods, etc.) will also be discussed, as well as sensory evaluation groups (selection and training) as well as statistical analysis and interpretation of sensory evaluation results. The teaching is in the form of lectures, as well as practical exercises under the guidance of a teacher.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.

Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.

Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?

In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.

Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

The content of lectures is divided into four parts:
(1) Introduction. Developments in Microbiology. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell forms. Structure and characteristics of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites. Classification of important microorganisms in foods. Microbial growth and metabolism. Indicator microorganisms in foods. Traditional and novel methods for cultivation, isolation and enumeration of microorganisms in foods. Origin of microorganisms in foods.
(2) Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microorganisms in foods - temperature, water activity, pH, atmosphere, radiation and other factors. Use of preservatives and methods to improve storage stability of foods. Fermentation and other profitable uses of microorganisms in food production.
(3) Food-borne illness caused by microorganisms. Most important causes of food-borne illness. Food intoxications and infections. Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and other pathogens in foods.
(4) Microbiology of primary food commodities. Microbiology of sea-foods, meat products, milk products, drinking water, vegetables and fruits. Sources of microorganisms found in primary food commodities, micro-flora of different foods, influence of processing and handling on survival of microorganisms and spoilage of foods by microorganisms. Laboratory classes cover basic principles in handling, cultivation and isolation of microorganisms. Cultural methods for isolation and enumeration of most important microorganisms in foods. Each student writes an essay about new topics in food microbiology and gives a short lecture.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK317G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry and nutrition are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion groups, seminars, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. Two practicals are executed: Kidney function or Digestion/metabolism control and Exercise physiology. One laboratory report, discussion hour and practical exam are part of each practical. There is an obligatory attendance to all practicals and discussion seminars, and an obligatory submittance of the reports. Each student gives one lecture at a seminar and presents one question practical of his/her own choice with an obligatory submittance of the presentation slides (powerpoint slides). There are 4 short exams during the semester and 3 of them form part of the semester grade.  There is a 75% obligatory attendance to the seminars and question practicals, and to all short mid-term

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

Students get to know the main focuses in nutrition counseling for diseases as well as learning to recognize risk factors and the pathogenesis of various diseases. The goal is also for students to learn to assess nutritional status, fluid balance and nutritional needs and to know different nutritional treatments, such as tube feeding, intravenous nutrition and other special diets.

Practical exercises: clinical exercises based on the NCP and practical examples in collaboration with LSH's nutrition advisor. Assessment of nutritional status, nutritional needs and nutritional treatment of different patient groups. (biochemical parameters related to nutritional status). Student lectures.

Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 1 is an essential foundation for Nutrition Therapy and Pathology 2

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

The Flexitarian Diet course aims to introduce students to how food choices affect human and earth health. It is important to keep in mind that what we eat affects not only our own health but also our earth's health. With human and earth health in mind, our diet includes more vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains than a more traditional diet. The course will cover the basics of flexitarian diet and how we can change food choices for the benefit of ourselves and the planet. By changing food choices, it would be possible to reduce the risk of various diseases, produce enough food for everyone and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The role of nutrition in training and its impact on sports performance are the subjects of this course. Emphasis is placed on examining relevant topics being discussed in the society at any given time; in particular aspects of youth training and attitudes towards nutrition related factors among youth.

The main focus is on macronutrients, their roles and variations in requirements for different training. Also, the role of age, gender, body image and physique will be discussed. It will also address the need for water, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, antioxidants and dietary supplements in connection with training.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends that often affect the consumer habits and attitudes of young people.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup:
The course is based on lectures and one seminar. It is expected that students participate in discussion and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge of nutrition in order to choose the course. Assessment is based on the seminar and a home exam. Attendance in the seminar is obligatory.

The role of nutrition for sports performance is the subject of this course, which is in continuation of the course Nutrition and training in youth. Emphasis is placed on deepening the knowledge already gained. Project work will focus on aquiring practical skills based on menu planning and calculations, reviewing special needs in performance sports, for example during comptetition and resting periods, during preparation phases, in competition and in recovery. Weight management is also examined in disciplines where weight categories are relevant.

The latest research on the subject will be reviewed, and limitations and progress on the status of knowledge of the subject. Emphasis is placed on being able to distinguish the actual state of knowledge compared with marketing and trends within certain disciplines.

Furthermore, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary teamwork between professionals, discussing how to maximize performance and promote health promotion through collaborative professional skills.

Course setup
The course is based on lectures and project work in small groups. It is expected that students participate in discussions and project work. There is a requirement for basic knowledge in nutrition in order to choose the course. Also students should be enrolled in the course Nutrition and training in youth. Assessment is based on project work.

The course provides insight into the importance of infectious microorganisms in patient care and in other fields of nursing.  The aim is to prepare students for their future role in patient management and in the safety of patients and caregivers.  This will enable them to react to known and new pathogens and to limit the transmission of infectious agents, health-care associated infections and antibiotic resistance.  The principal characteristics of important pathogens are addressed, including their virulence and the resulting infections and means to combat infections are discussed.

The course is taught in parallel with LÍF110G.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

The course focuses on statistical analysis using the R environment. It is assumed that students have basic knowledge of statistics and will learn how to apply statistical methods they know in R. Main topics are loading data, graphical representation, descriptive statistics and how to perform the most common hypothesis tests (t- test, chi-square test, etc.) in R. In addition, students will learn how to make reports using the knitr package.

The course is taught during a five week period. A teacher gives lectures and students work on a project in class.

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

The course is a practical course with weekly supportive lectures.  The lectures provide heroretical background of the instrumental methods and the instruments. The supportive lectures are part of lab exercises and attendance is compulsory.

The students learn about modern methods and instruments used in analytical chemistry based on interaction between chemical- and physical properties of the substances and the electromagnetic field. Chromatographic methods used to separate mixtures into single pure compounds will be introduced.  The focus of the course is the analysis of organic compounds.

Laboratory work: Fluorimetry, atomic absorption, spectrophotometry and applications of IR, UV and visible and NMR spectroscopy. Gas- and liquid (HPLC) chromatography. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

The objective of the course is to provide students with insight into the use of specialized pharmaceutical analytical methods. Pharmaceutical analytical chemistry is used for the identification and quantification of active substances and metabolites in pharmaceuticals and biological samples. These methods include titrations, spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis, IR, AAS, AES), liquid chromatographic methods (TLC, HPLC, UPLC), electrophoretic methods (CE), gas chromatography (GC), and mass spectrometry (MS).

Chromatographic methods used for drug testing will be presented. Analytical methods used for isolation and drug identification, as well as methods used for quantitative drug analysis. Spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography (LC) in visible and ultraviolet light.Zero, first, second and third order reactions. Effect of temperature and pH on reaction. Effects of salts, solubilizes and surfactants on chemical reactions. Hydro- and lipophilicity. Flow of drugs through organic membranes.Practical exercises: Separation and quantification of HPLC, determination of pKa values, hydrolysis, phase distribution and diffusion through organic membrane.Reports: Each student / group submits reports from each exercise.Requirements: A student should be able to calculate linear regression and perform simple statistical data processing with software (such as excel).

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main methods of product development and to train students in the use of consumer-driven methods in the development of food products. Students develop a consumer-oriented product and receive guidance in prototyping methods, selection of raw materials, experimental setup, scale-up, and the regulatory framework that must be followed when creating new foods. Students will also learn how sensory evaluation is used in product development and receive training in sensory evaluation of their own product. 

The development of the product will be made in team (prototyping and entrepreneurial training) but some assignments of the course are individual.  

Subject: 

Fundamentals of food product development.  

What will be discussed: 

• Idea search, idea filtering, prototype development (lecture as well as hands-on work) and scale-up to production  
• The use of experimental design for filtering and optimizing products in product development 
• The use of sensory evaluation in product development 
• The main innovations in environmentally friendly proteins 
• The relationship between food legislation and intellectual property rights in product development  

Real examples of product development at companies will be covered. 

Practical: A product will be developed from an idea to a prototype and presented at the end of the course through an oral presentation.  

In the course, students become acquainted with sensory evaluation sciences and how sensory evaluation is used to assess the properties of food. How to evoke, measure and evaluate the sensory properties of food and the different methods used in sensory evaluation will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on traditional sensory assessment methods (differential tests, graphical tests, hedonic tests, etc.), and how these methods are used in different situations such as quality control and product development. Methods in consumer research will be explained. Factors influencing sensory evaluation, the organization of sensory evaluation research (preparation, presentation of samples, choice of methods, etc.) will also be discussed, as well as sensory evaluation groups (selection and training) as well as statistical analysis and interpretation of sensory evaluation results. The teaching is in the form of lectures, as well as practical exercises under the guidance of a teacher.

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

NOTE: This is an intensive course taught in one block from 10-14 May 2021 (the week after the end of final exams in the spring semester), for six class hours each day (total of 30 class hours). Students must read all the course literature before the first day of classes. They do field research and present preliminary results in a seminar during this week and then write up a final paper after the course ends.

Nigella licks her finger in slow motion on her TV show after dipping it in gravy. She makes a sensual sound, as she looks into the camera and beckons us to enjoy it with her. Flip the channel, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey shouts relentlessly at other chefs who are fighting to save their restaurants. Many of them shed tears while he scolds them.

Sensuality, anger, stress, excitement, chauvinism, femininity, cream, dieting, healthy eating, food blogs, bake-offs and the fight for better and more righteous foodways all reflect the current popularity of food as entertainment and as an instrument for making people and society better. How can we explain this current tremendous interest, obsession even, with food and nutrition?

In this course we will investigate some select ingredients that have been turned into desirable cultural forms and focus in particular on how imaginations of gender and lifestyle take shape in such phenomena as television food shows, cookbooks, cooking competitions, and food blogs.