Human Microbiome Project receives additional $42M in funding from the NIH

Posted on 2009-06-26 14:57:56 in Genetic Research | Longevity and Age Management |
 

In 2007, the National Institutes of Health launched the five-year, $140M Human Microbiome Project to create a resource for researchers interested in using information about the microbiome to improve human health. In a new round of funding announced by the NIH, the Project will receive an additional $42M to expand the exploration of the human microbiome, which encompasses all of the microscopic organisms that live in or on the body, as well as in all DNA.

The additional funding will be provided to the large-scale DNA sequencing centers that participated in the initial phase of the project. The Centers, which are located throughout the country from east to west coasts, will collaborate in order to sequence at least 400 microbial genomes. Another approximately 500 genomes have already been completed or are in sequencing pipelines and supported by individual NIH institutes and internationally funded projects. The goal is to use the data to characterize the microbial communities found in samples collected from healthy volunteers from five specific areas of the body: the digestive tract, the mouth, the skin, the nose and the vagina.

"This effort will accelerate our understanding of how our bodies and microorganisms interact to influence health and disease," says Acting NIH Director Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D. "Examining the differences between the microbiomes of healthy patients and those of patients suffering from a disease promises to change how we diagnose, treat and, ultimately, prevent many health conditions."

The Human Microbiome Project is part of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research funded through the NIH Common Fund. The Roadmap is a series of initiatives designed to take advantage of significant opportunities and gaps in biomedical research that no single NIH institute could take on by itself, but which the agency as a whole can address to create the biggest impact possible on medical research.

News Release: NIH expands human microbiome project; funds sequencing center and disease projects    www.bioresearchonline.com    June 24, 2009


Health Headlines

In a lab animal model, booming gut flora spawned by the Western diet is linked to obesity.
International study reaffirms importance of resolving the income gap between the richest and poorest people in developed countries.
Switzerland-based research team assesses the metabolic effects of dark chocolate consumption on energy, gut microbiota, and stress hormones.
UCLA researchers find disability rates in Americans entering their 60s are on the rise, potentially fueled by the overweight/obesity epidemic.
Genetic clues to longevity discovered among a homogenous ethnic population.
Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center (USA) researchers find that a loss of muscle strength raises risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Stroke risk may rise in those with common infectious pathogens such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, and herpes simplex viruses.
First study in humans links bisphenol A (BPA) exposure to male sexual function problems.
Simple steps in the community can promote walking among residents.
Study finds that people who are dissatisfied with their workplace bosses not only take more sick leave, but are at increased risk of suffering a heart attack.
Looking for an Anti-aging Doctor?

upcoming Events

U.S. Events
congresses
Las Vegas
fellowships
fellowships
symposium
workshops
  • Advanced Hormone Symposium
    Chicago, IL | Oct. 8-10, 2010

VIDEO: Brain Age Workshop
Dr. Eric Braverman, Director of The Place for Achieving Total Health (PATH Medical), Chairs the Brain Age Workshop taking place Dec. 9, 2009. Held in conjunction with the Winter Session of the 17th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies. The Brain Age Workshop features presentations on Brain Mind Assessment via Neuropsychological Analysis, Movement Deficiency Syndrome, Hormones and the Brain, Nootropic Drug Mechanisms, and Traumatic Brain Injury. View this video to learn about Dr. Braverman’s brain-based model of aging and age modulation.

International Events
See all events »