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Biocodex Microbiota Foundation Announces Open Call for 2021 US Research Grant Applications

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“We believe a healthy gut microbiota can have a real impact on the body, including heart health, weight and mood, so we are looking to help support innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of gut microbiota beyond gut health,” says Juan C. Motta, General Manager.


BEDMINSTER, N.J. (PRWEB)

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, an organization founded by Biocodex and committed to inspiring scientific projects that investigate the implication of the microbiota in human health, has announced its 2021 open call for applications for its annual US research grant. Now in its fifth year, the $50,000 grant program is open to US-based, early-career investigators studying gut microbiota and its impact beyond the digestive system and can be applied to a new or existing study. The application can be downloaded here and deadline for entry is October 15, 2021, 5PM EST.

“We believe a healthy gut microbiota can have a real impact on the body, including heart health, weight and mood, so we are looking to help support innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of gut microbiota beyond gut health,” says Juan C. Motta, General Manager of Biocodex, Inc. “We are seeking applications from US-based researchers with five or less years of research experience within the microbiota field hoping to establish themselves as an independent researcher.”

The process is juried by a panel of medical and scientific experts in the field, who in 2020 selected Jessica Queen, MD, PhD, for her work on Fusobacterium strains from colon cancer biopsies, which observes that the oral microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum is enriched in the microbiome of many colon cancer patients.

“I had some exciting pilot data but needed additional research funds and technical support to expand the project and the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation grant provided me with the opportunity to budget for both of those needs,” says Dr. Queen, who is an Infectious Disease Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “The grant has allowed me to rapidly expand my project in a short period of time, and I believe will significantly contribute to our understanding of the importance and diversity of this cancer-associated organism.”

Previous grant recipients include:

  • 2019: Dr. Arpana Gupta for her research on the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and how its complications continue to rise in the US and around the world.

  • 2018: Dr. Tao Yang for his investigation into how intestinal microbes may cause dysfunctional gut-brain connections. With the help of the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation grant, Dr. Tao was able to publish his study providing strong support that targeting the gut to rebalance the gut-brain axis may increase the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs.

  • 2017: Dr. Rashim Singh for her research on flavonoids and microbiome interactions via triple recycling and their roles in food-borne carcinogen-induced colorectal cancer.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation’s annual call for grant applications is part of a multi-year research initiative to understand the interaction between microbiota and different pathologies. The applications will be reviewed, and recipient selected, by the US Biocodex Microbiota Foundation’s scientific board, comprised of Dr. Ruth Ann Luna from Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Emeran Mayer from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Dr. Erica Sonnenburg from Stanford University.

All completed applications must be sent to USAFoundation@biocodex.com by the October 15, 2021 deadline. Late or incomplete applications, or those that don’t meet the criteria of the grant program, or 2021 research topic will not be considered.

To learn more information about Biocodex Microbiota Foundation and the 2021 US grant program click here.

About the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation’s mission is to support research into microbiota and its interaction with various pathologies. Research is supported through grants given to projects that investigate the implication of microbiota in human health. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation supports both foundational and applied research, and projects are selected annually by a committee of independent scientists.

The foundation’s primary activity remains the awarding of annual grants to innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of microbiota. In addition, the foundation also runs and helps establish programs to improve our understanding of microbiota and disseminates this knowledge as widely as possible, including scientific communities and via public projects aimed to help improve human health.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation is a non-profit, general interest organization. For more information about the foundation’s international research grants, visit here.

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