Author: Rita Vilaça
The 4th FLAVOURsome Workshop, “AI for Flavour Innovation”, took place on 25–26 June 2026 at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB-TUM), Freising, Germany. Bringing together researchers from across the FLAVOURsome network, the workshop explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping flavour science and opening new opportunities for food innovation.
Designed as a highly interactive event, the two-day programme combined keynote lectures, scientific talks and hands-on training sessions, providing participants with practical experience in computational approaches for flavour research.
The scientific programme focused on three complementary areas: receptor modelling, chemoinformatics, and foodinformatics. Participants explored topics ranging from AI-assisted modelling of odour and taste receptors and ligand prediction to machine learning approaches capable of linking chemical structures with flavour perception and predicting flavour activity of food compounds. The workshop also highlighted the growing importance of integrating computational methods with experimental flavour science to accelerate research and innovation.
In addition to the scientific sessions, the workshop created valuable opportunities for discussion, networking and the exchange of expertise between researchers from different disciplines and career stages. These interactions continue to strengthen collaborations within the FLAVOURsome network while fostering new ideas for future research initiatives.
Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool for understanding the complexity of flavour perception. This workshop demonstrated how combining expertise in flavour science, computational biology and data science can accelerate innovation and create new opportunities for collaboration across our network.
Susana Soares – FLAVOURsome Action Chair