NuGO is a European-funded Network of Excellence, the full title of which is 'The European Nutrigenomics Organisation: linking genomics, nutrition and health research'.

NuGO is funded by the European Commission’s Research Directorate General under the Food Quality and Safety Priority of the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. The project began in January 2004 and will be funded until December 2009, but NuGO is anticipated to continue in one form or another.

A Network of Excellence (NoE) does not do research as such. Its purpose is to overcome the fragmentation of research, giving researchers from across Europe the chance to work together, share facilities and their expertise.

Twenty-three (23) NuGO Partners consisting of research organisations, universities and small-medium-sized businesses from ten European countries form the core of NuGO, and their common aims is to make future nutrigenomics research better and easier.

The primary aims of the project are to:

• Train European scientists to use post-genomic technologies in nutrition research
• Develop and integrate genomic technologies for the benefit of European nutritional science
• Facilitate the application of these technologies in nutritional research world-wide
• Create the world-leading virtual centre of excellence in nutrigenomics

If you are a researcher in nutritional science, NuGO offers you the opportunity to become involved via international events, information and advice. NuGO's director is Dr Ben van Ommen and the project manager is Dr Fre Pepping.

The network is coordinated from Wageningen University where the secretariat is also based (Ingeborg van Leeuwen-Bol. NuGO's communication manager is Dr Siân Astley. Our scientific officers are Jürgen Lucas and Valérie Rolland.