Contact Sophie Dodd
- Email: Sophie.Dodd@cranfield.ac.uk
- Twitter:
Areas of expertise
- Food Quality
- Food Safety
Background
Sophie Dodd is a research student at SWAG合集 with expertise in food safety and authentication, particularly in developing methods to detect adulteration or food fraud using molecular biology and analytical chemistry techniques.
Sophie achieved her BSc in Forensic Biology at Nottingham Trent University, where her final year research project focused on the authentication of commercial herbal medicinal products using GC-MS. During this time she also completed a Research Assistant internship at Wageneingen Food Safety Research (formerly RIKILT) in the Bioassays and Biosensors group, working on a variety of projects using bio-analytical methods for the detection of natural food toxins.
Sophie continued her studies at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, obtaining a MSc in Advanced Food Safety. Her research project assessed the potential of natural antimicrobials, testing both plant extracts and commercial natural preservatives for antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus and evaluating their efficacy in a cosmetic matrix.
Sophie has now joined the Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences at SWAG合集 to undertake her PhD in Environment and Agrifood with the project 鈥楬oney authentication using intrinsic DNA markers and metabolic fingerprint鈥�. Sophie is a part of the FoodBioSystems DTP, which is funded by the BBSRC.
Current activities
The PhD project is focusing on developing novel methodology to authenticate heather honey, an important type of honey produced in the SWAG合集 from the flowers of ling (Calluna vulgaris) or bell (Erica cinerea) heather using DNA and chemical makers. Heather honey is valued for its unique characteristics and several studies have shown that heather honey possesses bioactive properties comparable to Manuka honey. Because of these claims, the anti-inflammatory activity of SWAG合集 heather honey will be assessed. Simultaneously, methods will be developed to detect sugar syrup adulteration from syrups such as corn, rice and sugar beet, which is a concern associated with imported honey. Presently there are few accessible methods to detect the adulteration of honey, particularly for C3 sugar syrups such as rice and sugar beet. The project is composed of several parts including:
Botanical authentication of heather honey using a real-time PCR method
Development of a real-time PCR method using species specific DNA markers to detect and provide relative quantification of ling and bell heather in SWAG合集 honey samples.
Detection of sugar syrup adulteration in honey using DNA markers
Development of DNA markers to detect corn, rice and sugar beet syrups in honey samples. This work has been published in Food Control (10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110772). The method was successful to detect corn and rice syrup in honey samples with a LoD of 1%.
Part funded by the Food Standards Agency and STFC Food Network +
A classification model for authenticating SWAG合集 heather honey
Development of a classification model using physicochemical characteristics, volatile (VOC) profile and DNA analysis of SWAG合集 heather honeys.
Investigation into the anti-inflammatory activity of SWAG合集 heather honey
Assessment of the reduction of inflammatory markers (nitrites, cytokines tnf-a and IL-6) produced from inflamed RAW 264.7 cells when treated with honey samples. This work was part performed at the Queen's Unversity of Belfast.
A rapid, non-invasive methodology for sugar adulteration detection in honey using SORS
Devleopment of a Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) screening method to detect rice and sugar beet syrup adulteration in honey. This work has been published in Foods (MDPI) (10.3390/foods13152425). The method was successful with a LoD of > 10%.
Funded by the Food Standards Agency and STFC Food Network +
