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24,576 grants matching “microbiome”
**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE EVOLUTIONARY INTERACTIONS OF PHAGES AND THEIR BACTERIAL HOSTS HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN THE LAB, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THESE DYNAMICS IN NATURE. THE OVERARCHING AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO EXAMINE THE ROLE OF PHAGES IN BACTERIAL COMMUNITY TURNOVER AND DISEASE USING A NOVEL PEAR TREE DISEASE SYSTEM (CALLERY 'BRADFORD' PEAR TREES INFECTED WITH THE AGRICULTURALLY RELEVANT PATHOGEN ERWINIA AMYLOVORA). THROUGH THE TIGHT INTEGRATION OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH, THE COMBINATION OF HIGH-THROUGHPUT CULTURE-DEPENDENT SCREENING AND CULTURE-INDEPENDENT 'OMICS' APPROACHES WILL ALLOW FOR TRACKING OF BACTERIA-PHAGE DYNAMICS OVER BOTH SHORT (MONTHLY) AND LONG (YEARLY) TIME SCALES. THE PROJECT WILL BUILD AN UNPARALLELED TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DATASET ON PHAGE HOST RANGE WITH WHICH TO EXAMINE THE ROLE OF PHAGES (BOTH LYTIC AND TEMPERATE) IN BACTERIAL COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY, STABILITY, AND PATHOGEN INVASION. THE WORK COMBINES BOTH CLASSIC EMPIRICAL APPROACHES TO STUDY THE STRENGTH AND SCALE OF PHAGE ADAPTATION WITH NEW COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO PREDICT HOW PHAGES SHAPE MICROBIAL NETWORKS. THE DATA GENERATED WILL OFFER UNPRECEDENTED INSIGHT INTO BACTERIA-PHAGE DYNAMICS IN NATURE AND VIRAL HOST RANGE EVOLUTION IN AN AGRICULTURALLY IMPORTANT DISEASE SETTING. THE RESEARCH FURTHER DEVELOPS BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT MICROBIOMES AND VIROMES, AND WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DISEASE ECOLOGY MODEL SYSTEM THAT IS BOTH AMENABLE TO UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING IN THE MICROBIOME FIELD AND UNIQUE IN ITS POTENTIAL TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO VIROME-MICROBIOME INTERACTIONS IN BOTH HEALTH AND DISEASE. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED, AS WELL AS PHAGES ISOLATED AND CHARACTERIZED, WILL HELP INFORM NOVEL METHODS OF SUSTAINABLE DISEASE CONTROL.
$650,000Regents Of The University Of California, The · · FY2020 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CROP ROTATION IS ONE OF THE FEW SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT CAN MAINTAIN LONG-TERM CROP YIELDS. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO SYSTEMATIC METHODOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE CROP ROTATION SEQUENCES FOR BOTH YIELDS AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. WE PROPOSE TO TEST A NOVEL APPROACH TO DETERMINE OPTIMAL CROP ROTATION SEQUENCES BY INCORPORATING PLANT-SOIL FEEDBACK (PSF), A MAJOR ECOLOGICAL PROCESS DEFINED AS THE EFFECT OF A PRECEDING CROP ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF A SUBSEQUENT CROP RESULTING FROM SOIL BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC LEGACIES. THE MAJOR FACTORS DRIVING PSF INCLUDE PATHOGENS, MUTUALISTS, NUTRIENTS, AND DEPOSITION OF SECONDARY CHEMICALS. GIVEN THE CURRENT MAJOR EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING AGRONOMIC PRACTICES THAT REDUCE INPUTS AND MAINTAIN SOIL HEALTH, THIS RESEARCH PROPOSAL IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY THE PSF FRAMEWORK TO AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION. OUR PROPOSAL HAS THREE COMPONENTS: 1) A GREENHOUSE POT EXPERIMENT TO INVESTIGATE EFFECTS OF PSF ON CROP BIOMASS USING FOUR GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT CASH CROPS (CANOLA, MAIZE, SOYBEAN AND WHEAT), 2) A FIELD EXPERIMENT TO VERIFY THE RESULTS FROM THE GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENT, AND 3) EXPLORING MECHANISMS OF PSF EFFECTS ON CROP GROWTH USING STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING. BOTH EXPERIMENTS CONSIST OF A TRAINING PHASE AND TWO FEEDBACK PHASES. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDE PLANT BIOMASS, CROP YIELDS, FOLIAR NUTRIENTS, SOIL AND ROOT MICROBIOMES, SOIL MICROBIAL HEALTH INDICES AND SOIL AGGREGATE STABILITY. WE AIM TO DETERMINE 1) HOW CROP DIVERSIFICATION AND SEQUENCE IN ROTATIONS AFFECT CROP YIELDS AND SOIL HEALTH, AND 2) THE ROLES OF SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES ON CROP ROTATION PERFORMANCE, THE TWO MAJOR GOALS OF FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.
$650,000Michigan State University · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SUBACUTE RUMINAL ACIDOSIS (SARA) HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED AN ANIMAL PRODUCTION, HEALTH, AND WELFARE ISSUE. SARA HAS HIGH INCIDENT RATES IN TWO CRITICAL PHASES IN DAIRY PRODUCTION: WEANING PERIOD IN YOUNG CALVES AND MID-LACTATION PERIOD IN DAIRY CATTLE. AS A SEQUELA TO SARA, LIVER ABSCESS CAUSES LIVER FUNCTION DAMAGE AND PREMATURE CULLING. CURRENTLY, A WELL-DEFINED, ACCURATE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IS LACKING FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND PREVENTION OF SARA AND ITS SUBSEQUENT LIVER ABSCESS IN CATTLE.DECREASED RUMINAL PH DURING SARA DAMAGES THE GUT EPITHELIAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY COMPROMISES BARRIER FUNCTION, ALLOWING THE TRANSLOCATION OF GUT MICROBES INTO THE BLOOD STREAM AND LEADING TO A SYSTEM-WIDE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AND METABOLIC ACIDOSIS. IN THIS STUDY, WE FOCUS ON THE MICROBIAL CHANGES IN TWO MAJOR TISSUE TYPES, LIVER AND BLOOD MICROBIOME (LBM), AND THEIR RELATION TO RUMINAL ACIDOSIS. USING METATRANSCRIPTOMICS AS THE MAIN APPROACH, THE OVERARCHING GOALS OF OUR PROPOSAL ARE 1) TO INVESTIGATE MEMBERSHIP AND LONGITUDINAL SHIFTS IN THE LBM; AND 2) TO ESTABLISH A CORRELATION BETWEEN LBM AND FEED-INDUCED ACIDOSIS DURING THE WEANING PERIOD IN YOUNG CALVES AND THE MID-LACTATION IN ADULT COWS. IDENTIFICATION OF A DYNAMIC AND RESPONSIVE LBM WILL BE TRANSFORMATIVE FOR DELINEATING MOLECULAR MECHANISMS INFLUENCED BY THE GUT MICROBIOME THAT IMPACT CATTLE NUTRITIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS. THE EXPECTED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LBM CHANGES AND FEED-INDUCED ACIDOSIS RESULTANT FROM THIS PROJECT WILL GREATLY ADVANCE INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE CAUSATIVE ROLE OF HOST-MICROBE INTERACTIONS IN PREDISPOSITION TO AND DEVELOPMENT OF SARA IN DAIRY CATTLE.
$650,000Agricultural Research Service · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
DartCF: The Dartmouth Cystic Fibrosis Research Center
$650,000Dean R Madden · Dartmouth College · P30 · FY2024 · DK
Micro-TeACH (Microbiome Technology and Analytic Center Hub)
$650,000Jose U. Scher · New York University School Of Medicine · UC2 · FY2022 · AR
Novel coated nanostructured implant surfaces to increase osseointegration and decrease peri-implantitis in a physiologic rat model
$650,000Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw · University Of Florida · R56 · FY2022 · DE
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** INCREASING RUMINANT PRODUCTION TO SATISFY THE DEMANDS OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION IS A GROWING CHALLENGE FOR PRODUCERS. THE SOLUTION IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS RAISING THE NUMBERS OF ANIMALS, GIVEN INCREASINGLY LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE. INSTEAD, EFFORTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT ENHANCING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY. IN THAT REGARD, DIFFERENCES IN THE MICROBIAL COMPOSITION AND ACTIVITY OF AN ANIMAL'S RUMEN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RUMINANT PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY. NEVERTHELESS, MANIPULATION OF THE RUMEN MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEM REMAINS ONE OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD, AND THE FORCES THAT DETERMINE ITS COMPOSITION AND ACTIVITY ARE STILL POORLY UNDERSTOOD. IN THIS APPLICATION, WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF MILK SECRETORY IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (SIGA) ON THE RUMEN MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEM. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT SIGA IS AN EVOLUTIONARY MECHANISM RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSEMBLING AND MAINTAINING THE RUMEN MICROBIOME. WE POSTULATE THAT THE MILK SUPPLY SIGA WILL ACCELERATE THE RUMEN MICROBIOME'S DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL LATER BE MAINTAINED BY SALIVARY SIGA. THE SUPPLY OF MILK SIGA DURING EARLY LIFE WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RUMEN LEADING TO SUPERIOR PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY. THIS HYPOTHESIS IS BASED ON OUR PRELIMINARY DATA. UNDERSTANDING HOW TO MILK SIGA IMPACTS RUMEN MICROBIAL ASSEMBLY, COMPOSITION, AND ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL POSITIVE IMPACT ON RUMINANT PRODUCTION. THIS KNOWLEDGE IS LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING STRATEGIES TO MODULATE THE MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEM AND INCREASE RUMINANT PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY. THEREBY HELPING TO ENSURE FUTURE GLOBAL DEMANDS FOR SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS RUMINANT PRODUCTS ARE ADEQUATELY MET WITH AGRICULTURALLY SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES.
$650,000University Of Florida · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF SUBACUTE ACIDOSIS ARE THE GREATEST IMPEDIMENT TO ACHIEVING OPTIMAL BEEF PRODUCTIVITY IN MODERN WELL-MANAGED BEEF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. WHILE RUMINAL HEALTH HAS RECEIVED MUCH ATTENTION, IT IS INCREASINGLY EVIDENT THAT THE POST-RUMINAL GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT (GIT) PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE PROGRESSION OFDISEASE.THESE ILL EFFECTS MAY BE COMPOUNDEDBY RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON CERTAIN DIETARY ANTIBIOTICS. AS ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIBIOTICS ARE SOUGHT, THERE IS A SURPRISING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW THEY INTERACT WITH COMMENSALBACTERIA AND PATHOGENS TO ALTER INTESTINAL FUNCTION AND INTEGRITY. MICROBIALLY MODIFIED BILE ACIDS ARE A COMPELLING MECHANISTIC TARGET FOR ENHANCED GUT BARRIER FUNCTION. TO ADDRESS THIS GAP, THESPECIFIC OBJECTIVESOF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO FEED TYLOSIN + MONENSIN TO GRAIN-FINISHED FEEDLOT CATTLE AND: 1) CHARACTERIZE CHANGES IN THE RUMINAL, INTESTINAL, AND CECAL MICROBIOME, 2) IDENTIFY ANTIBIOTIC-RESPONSIVE METABOLITES IN DIGESTA 3) DETERMINE HOST RESPONSE TO MICROBIAL SIGNALS, AND 4) INTEGRATE METAGENOME-METABOLOME-TRANSCRIPTOME DATA FOR A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF THE SYSTEM. OURCENTRAL HYPOTHESIS, IS THATANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS IMPROVE HOST INTESTINALFUNCTION AND INTEGRITYBY INHIBITING BILE SALT HYDROLYZING BACTERIAL SPECIES IN THE LOWER GIT, RESULTING IN LESS MICROBIAL MODIFICATION OF BILE ACIDS AND A PRIMARY CONJUGATED BILE ACID PROFILE THAT DAMPENS PHYSIOLOGICAL INFLAMMATION. IN TURN, GUT BARRIER FUNCTION WILL IMPROVE AND THE CATABOLIC COST OF MAINTAINING AN IMMUNE RESPONSE WILL DECREASE. BY USING MULTIPLE-OMICS TECHNIQUES, OUR AIM IS TO REVEAL ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM TO TARGET FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, HEALTH, AND WELFARE OF FEEDLOT CATTLE MANAGEDUNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS.
$650,000Purdue University · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** YOUNG PIGLETS ARE OFTEN BORN WITH REDUCED GROWTH POTENTIAL AND INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASE. TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, PIGLETS ARE GIVEN MEDICATIONS SUCH AS ANTIBIOTICS. WE NEED TO REDUCE ANTIBIOTICS USE IN ANIMALS TO REDUCE THE CHANCES THAT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT ORGANIMS ARE PASSED TO HUMANS. THREFORE, WE ARE PROPOSING TO DETERMINE THE USEFULNESS OF LIVE YEAST FEEDING TO SOWS WHEN THEY ARE PREGNANT SO THAT THEY PASS FACTORS THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNITY OF THE PIGLETS. WHEN PIGLETS FROM SOWS THAT ARE FED LIVE YEAST ARE BORN, IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT TREATMENT WITH ANTIBIOTICS OR OTHER MEDICATIONS WILL NO LONGERBE NECCESSARY AGAIN FOR THE PIGLETS.OUR OVERARCHING HYPOTHESIS IS THAT FEEDING OF LIVE YEAST TO SOWS WHEN THEY ARE PREGNANT WILL LEAD TO PASSAGE OF IMMUNE STRENGTHENING FACTORS TO THE PIGLETS THROUGH THE MILK AND COLOSTRUM AND THIS WILL LEAD TO HEALTHIER PIGLETS THAT GROW BETTER.SPECIFICOBJECTIVES:1.DETERMINE EFFECTS OF MATERNAL LY SUPPLEMENTATION ON MILK YIELD, NUTRIENT COMPOSITION, PROTEOME, LIPIDOME AND MICROBIOME AND INFLAMMATORY STATUS OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR NEUTROPHILS (PMN) OF COLOSTRUM AND MILK SAMPLES.2. DETERMINE HOWMATERNAL LY SUPPLEMENTATION DURING GESTATION AND LACTATION AFFECTS PIGLET INTESTINAL FUNCTION.3.DETERMINE EFFECT OF LY ON IMMUNE RESPONSE TO LPS CHALLENGE, EFFECT ON GROWTH AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN PIGLETS.4. WE WILL COMBINE ALL THE DATA GENERATED TO DETERMINE HOW LIVE YEAST IS WORKING TO AFFECT PIGLET PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH.EXPECTED RESULTS:WE EXPECT TO GET NEW DATA THAT WILL SHOW PROOF THAT FEEDING LIVE YEAST TO SOWS WHEN THEY ARE PREGNANT LEADS TO HEALTHIER PIGLETS BEING BORN THAT GROW BETTER.ANTICIPATED IMPACT:WE EXPECT THAT INFORMATION TO BE GENERATED WILL LEAD TO PIG GROWERS FEEDING LIVE YEAST TO THEIR HOGS DURING GEATATION. WE ALSO EXPECT THIS TO LEAD TO REDUCED USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND OTHER MEDICATIONS TO TREAT PIGLETS. WE EXPECT THAT PIGS THAT WERE EXPOSED TO LIVE YEAST WILL GROW FASTER TO MARKET. THIS WILL LEAD TOMORE INCOME TO HOG PRODUCERS WHO USE THE FEEDING METHODS TO BE DEVELOPED.
$650,000Purdue University · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES (KNOWN AS MICROBIOTA) RESIDE WITHIN THE GASTROINTESTINAL, RESPIRATORY, AND REPRODUCTIVE TRACTS OF CATTLE AND ARE VITAL TO CATTLE HEALTH AND PRODUCTION. EMERGING EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT MICROBIAL COLONIZATION OF CALF INTESTINE MAY OCCUR BEFORE BIRTH AND EVEN DURING EARLY PREGNANCY, HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL AND EXTENDED ROLE OF THE MATERNAL MICROBIOTA IN CALF GASTROINTESTINAL MICROBIOME DEVELOPMENT. RECENT EVIDENCE OBTAINED FROM MOUSE STUDIES DEMONSTRATED THAT THE MATERNAL MICROBIOTA DURING PREGNANCY MODULATES PROGRAMMING OF FETAL METABOLIC AND NERVE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT. ACCORDINGLY, OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE MATERNAL MICROBIOTA IS PARAMOUNT IN FETAL PROGRAMMING (CERTAIN MATERNAL STIMULUS OR INSULT OCCURRING DURING PREGNANCY MAY HAVE A LONG TERM EFFECTS ON THE OFFSPRING) AND OFFSPRING MICROBIOTA DEVELOPMENT IN CATTLE. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP MATERNAL MICROBIOME-TARGETED APPROACHES TO IMPROVE OFFSPRING HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND THEREBY ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF BEEF PRODUCTION. THE SHORT-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF ALTERING MATERNAL MICROBIOTA VIA HIGH FORAGE OR HIGH CONCENTRATE DIETS ON OFFSPRING MICROBIOME DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY BALANCE, METHANE EMISSIONS AND FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE IN BEEF CATTLE. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THE FOLLOWING THREE SPECIFIC AIMS WILL BE ASSESSED: 1) CHARACTERIZE THE MATERNAL GUT, NASOPHARYNGEAL AND VAGINAL MICROBIOTA IN RESPONSE TO PREGNANCY; 2) INVESTIGATE PRENATAL MICROBIAL COLONIZATION (IN UTERO MICROBIAL TRANSFER) WITH A FOCUS ON METHANOGENIC ARCHAEA (A GROUP OF MICROORGANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING METHANE GAS IN THE RUMEN); 3) EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF ALTERING MATERNAL MICROBIOTA VIA FEEDING HIGH FORAGE OR HIGH CONCENTRATE DIETS ON OFFSPRING MICROBIOME DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY BALANCE, METHANE EMISSIONS, AND FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE. THIS PROJECT IS ANTICIPATED TO PROVIDE NOVEL AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CONSIDERATION OF DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE FEED EFFICIENCY AND DISEASE RESILIENCE IN CALVES BY HARNESSING THE MATERNAL MICROBIOME AND FETO-MATERNAL MICROBIAL CROSSTALK.
$650,000North Dakota State University · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE AMERICAN CRANBERRIES, ESPECIALLY CRANBERRY JUICE, HAVE BEEN USED FOR CENTURIES AS A FOLK MEDICINE TO PREVENT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS (UTI), WHICH AFFECT 50% OF WOMEN IN THEIR LIFETIME. OVER 30 CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS TO VERIFY THE UTI PREVENTATIVELY ACTIVITY OF CRANBERRY JUICES, BUT THE RESULTS WERE CONTRADICTORY. ABOUT 90% OF UTI ARE INITIATED BY THE ADHESION OF UROPATHOGENIC E. COLI (UPEC) ON URINARY TRACT EPITHELIA. IT WAS REPORTED THAT HUMAN URINE AFTER CONSUMPTION OF CRANBERRY JUICE INHIBITED THE ADHESION OF UPEC. THE A-TYPE PROANTHOCYANIDINS AND XYLOGLUCANS ARE THE PRESUMED BIOACTIVES IN CRANBERRIES, HOWEVER, THIS IS UNLIKELY BECAUSE THESE TWO CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS HAVE EXTREMELY LOW BIOAVAILABILITY IN HUMAN BODY. PRELIMINARY RESEARCH SUGGESTED THAT WOMEN CAN BE EITHER RESISTANT OR SUSCEPTIBLE TO UTI DEPENDING ON THE INHERENT ANTI-ADHESION ACTIVITY IN THEIR URINE AGAINST UPEC BEFORE CONSUMING CRANBERRY JUICE. NOT ALL BUT A FRACTION OF UTI SUSCEPTIBLE WOMEN HAD INCREASED URINARY ANTI-ADHESION ACTIVITY AFTER CONSUMING CRANBERRY JUICES. THESE WOMEN ARE CLASSIFIED AS RESPONDERS AND OTHERS ARE NON-RESPONDERS. THE VARIATION OF GUT MICROBIOME IS A PROBABLE MECHANISM FOR METABOLIC POLYMORPHISMS AND DISPARITY IN UTI PREVENTION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS TRIALS IS TO IDENTIFY GUT MICROBES AND ANTI-ADHESIVE URINARY BIOMARKERS WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE ANTI-ADHESION OF UPEC.
$650,000University Of Florida · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IMPROVING BROILER MEAT PRODUCTION TO MEET CONSUMER DEMAND HAS RESULTED IN THE SHORTENING OF THE TIME REQUIRED FOR MODERN BROILERS TO REACH MARKET WEIGHT. DUE TO THIS, THE PERIOD OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT CONSTITUTES TO ABOUT 30% OF A BROILER'S LIFE. FURTHER, OPTIMUM GROWTH DURING THE EMBRYONIC PERIOD AND IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO HATCH IS IMPORTANT TO CHICK PERFORMANCE IN REACHING MARKET WEIGHT. HENCE SUPPORTING THIS CRITICAL EMBRYONIC PERIOD IS CRITICAL TO PROMOTE OVERALL BIRD HEALTH AND PRODUCTION. ALONG THESE LINES, PROBIOTICS ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON GROWTH PROMOTERS EMPLOYED IN BROILER PRODUCTION. HOWEVER, THEY ARE PRIMARILY USED AS A FEED SUPPLEMENT POST-HATCH AND THEIR EFFECT ON EMBRYONIC GROWTH HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED. GIVEN THEIR BENEFICIAL ATTRIBUTES, SUPPLEMENTATION OF PROBIOTICS TO GROWING EMBRYOS COULD BE A POTENTIAL APPROACH TO PROMOTE GROWTH AND PERFORMANCE IN BROILERS. TOWARDS THIS, OUR PREVIOUS RESEARCH DEMONSTRATED THAT PROVIDING PROBIOTICS TO GROWING EMBRYOS NOT IMPROVED EMBRYO GROWTH BUT ALSO PROMOTED BODY WEIGHT GAIN AND MEAT YIELD IN CHICKENS. FURTHER, WE ALSO OBSERVED THAT PROBIOTICS ALSO IMPROVED HATCHABILITY AND HATCHLING QUALITY. ONE OF THE KEY DETERMINANTS IS THE ENERGY STATUS OF THE EMBRYOS. ADDITIONALLY, THE IMPROVEMENT IN GROWTH CAN BE DUE TO IMPROVED INTESTINAL FUNCTION INCLUDING CECAL MICROBIAL ACTIVITY. THEREFORE, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW PROBIOTICS PROMOTE GROWTH, IN THIS PROJECT WE WILL DETERMINE PROBIOTIC EFFECT ON THE GLUCOSE AND GLYCOGEN RESERVES, INTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION AND CECAL MICROBIOME IN THE EMBRYO AND CHICKS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS STUDY WILL HELP DEMONSTRATE THE POTENTIAL FOR TARGETING BROILER EMBRYOS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION IN THESE BIRDS. OVERALL, USE OF PROBIOTICS TO IMPROVE GROWTH AND THEIR APPLICATION ON EGGS MAY SERVE AS A NOVEL AND EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR RAISING.
$650,000University Of Connecticut · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MUSCLE/FILLET IS THE MOST VALUABLE PRODUCT OF FISH. IMPROVING FILLET YIELD AND QUALITY CAN ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS.CLASSICAL BREEDING HAS LIMITED SUCCESS IN IMPROVING FILLET YIELD AND REQUIRES SEVERAL GENERATIONS. THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY IS EAGER TO ADOPT INNOVATIVE GENETIC SELECTION METHODS TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF GENETIC IMPROVEMENT, I.E., INCREASING THE ACCURACY OF BREEDING VALUES AND REDUCING GENERATION INTERVALS, CONSEQUENTLY INCREASING GENETIC GAIN. GUT MICROBIOTA HAVE RECENTLY SHOWN A ROLE IN MAINTAINING AND REGULATING HOST PHYSIOLOGY, INCLUDING MUSCLE GAIN AND FUNCTIONS IN MAMMALS. HOWEVER, HOST GENETICS' ROLE ON THE GUT MICROBIOTA-MUSCLE AXIS REMAINS TO BE DISCOVERED IN AGRI-ANIMAL SPECIES, INCLUDING FISH.A RECENT STUDY IN OUR LABORATORY SHOWED THAT FILLET YIELD GENETIC LINES PRODUCED AT USDA/ARS/NCCCWA ARE PREDICTIVE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME COMPOSITION IN RAINBOW TROUT, INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF HERITABLE FILLET YIELD-ASSOCIATED MICROBIOME COMPONENTS.IN THE PROPOSED STUDY, WE WILL ASSESS NOVEL APPROACHES TO IMPROVE FILLET YIELD IN TROUT BREEDING PROGRAMS AT NCCCWA AND ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING COMMERCIAL PRODUCERS OF RAINBOW TROUT EGGS. WE WILL USE HOST GENOTYPES ALONG WITH HIGH-THROUGHPUT GUT MICROBIOME/METAGENOMICS DATA IN MICROBIOME GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES TO 1) IDENTIFY GENE VARIANTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MICROBIOMEAND DETECT HERITABLE MICROBIAL GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED FILLET YIELD THAT COULD BE USED AS MARKERS TO DEVELOP IMPROVED FISH FOR BREEDING PURPOSES, 2) ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPROVING THE GENETIC PREDICTION ACCURACY AND GENOTYPING COST EFFICIENCY WHEN THE MICROBIOME DATA AND THE GENOMIC RELATIONSHIP INFORMATION ARE INTEGRATED INTO GENOMICS-METAGENOMICS ANALYSES.ADDITIONALLY, WE PLAN TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MODULATING THE GUT MICROBIAL COMPOSITION IN FAVORING BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL FLORA TO INCREASE FILLET YIELD VIA EARLY-LIFE FECAL TRANSPLANTATION.
$650,000University Of Maryland, College Park · · FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
RATIONALE:ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY AND EFFICIENT GUT MICROBIOME EARLY IN LIFE PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING LONG-TERM ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY. THE PREWEANING PERIOD IN DAIRY CALVES PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO GUIDE MICROBIAL DEVELOPMENT IN WAYS THAT SUPPORT GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY, AND DIGESTIVE HEALTH THROUGHOUT LIFE. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE USE OF TARGETED PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS, CULTURED FROM NATURAL GUT COMMENSALS OF PREWEANED CALVES, TO IMPROVE MICROBIAL COLONIZATION PATTERNS. THE GOAL IS TO ENHANCE CALF PERFORMANCE BY PROMOTING BENEFICIAL FERMENTATION PATHWAYS AND REDUCING COLONIZATION BY LESS DESIRABLE MICROBIAL POPULATIONS. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE POTENTIAL OF EARLY-LIFE MICROBIAL INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE OVERALL ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY IN DAIRY SYSTEMS.HYPOTHESIS:THIS PROJECT HYPOTHESIZES THAT NEONATAL SUPPLEMENTATION WITH SPECIFIC PROBIOTIC BACTERIAL ISOLATES ADMINISTERED ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH SELECTED DIETARY ADDITIVES--WILL PROMOTE STABLE, BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL COLONIZATION AND FERMENTATION PATTERNS IN THE DEVELOPING RUMEN. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE THAT STIMULATING ACETATE-DEPENDENT BUTYRATE SYNTHESIS WILL ENHANCE MICROBIAL HYDROGEN UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY, SUPPORT BETTER NUTRIENT CONVERSION, AND SUPPRESS COLONIZATION BY COMPETING MICROBIAL GROUPS. THESE MICROBIAL SHIFTS ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN GROWTH, RUMEN DEVELOPMENT, AND LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE.SPECIFIC AIMS/OBJECTIVES:OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATE THE ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF FAECALIBACTERIUM SPP. AND OTHER PROBIOTICS IN DAIRY CALVES. THIS OBJECTIVE WILL ASSESS COLONIZATION POTENTIAL, IMPACTS ON RUMEN AND GUT MICROBIAL PROFILES, AND EFFECTS ON CALF GROWTH AND HEALTH DURING THE PREWEANING PHASE AND AT ONE YEAR OF AGE.OBJECTIVE 2: USE IN VITRO FERMENTATION SYSTEMS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH MICROBIAL COMMUNITY DYNAMICS AND FERMENTATION PATTERNS CAN BE INFLUENCED BY COMBINING THE PROBIOTIC COCKTAIL WITH SELECTED DIETARY ADDITIVES (E.G., 3-NOP, SEAWEED BLENDS, CHLOROFORM). THESE ASSAYS WILL MEASURE CHANGES IN HYDROGEN FLUX, FERMENTATION END PRODUCTS, AND MICROBIAL COMPETITION.OBJECTIVE 3: IDENTIFY THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMBINATIONS OF PROBIOTIC AND DIETARY STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE ACETATE-DEPENDENT BUTYRATE SYNTHESIS AND BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL REMODELING IN THE RUMEN, WITH THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENTS IN GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY, AND ANIMAL HEALTH.EXPECTED RESULTS:THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ACHIEVE THREE MAIN OUTCOMES: EARLY-LIFE ADMINISTRATION OF TARGETED PROBIOTICS CAN PROMOTE BENEFICIAL MICROBIAL COLONIZATION; ACETATE-DEPENDENT BUTYRATE PRODUCTION CAN BE ENHANCED, IMPROVING ENERGY AVAILABILITY AND RUMEN FUNCTION; LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS IN ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND DIGESTIVE EFFICIENCY CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH EARLY MICROBIAL PROGRAMMING.ANTICIPATED IMPACT:THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR OPTIMIZING MICROBIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DAIRY CALVES DURING A CRITICAL EARLY-LIFE WI,NDOW. THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS INCLUDE IMPROVED FEED EFFICIENCY, GROWTH, AND OVERALL ANIMAL HEALTH. BY ADVANCING PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR PRODUCERS TO INFLUENCE GUT HEALTH FROM THE START, THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MODERN DAIRY OPERATIONS.
$650,000Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania, The · · FY2025 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
DISEASE-ASSOCIATEDSTREPTOCOCCUS SUISIS A COSTLY DISEASE IN SWINE PRODUCTION CAUSED BY THES. SUISBACTERIUM. SWINE PRODUCERS FACE MAJOR CHALLENGES IN CONTROLLINGS. SUISDUE TO ITS ENDEMIC NATURE, THE LACK OF EFFECTIVE VACCINES, THE PRESENCE OF COMMENSALS. SUISSTRAINS, AND POTENTIAL ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE. VETERINARIANS DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PIGS DEVELOP DISEASE WHILE THEIR LITTERMATES REMAIN HEALTHY CARRIERS. ONE HYPOTHESIS IS THAT RESPIRATORY MICROBES (I.E., THE MICROBIOME) INTERACT WITH DIFFERENT CO-CIRCULATINGS. SUISSTRAINS IN A TEMPORALLY DYNAMIC MANNER THAT INFLUENCES DISEASE RISK. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN DISEASE-CAUSING STRAINS OFS. SUISAND THE MICROBIOME. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THIS KNOWLEDGE GAP BY INVESTIGATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE NASOPHARYNGEAL MICROBIOME AND DISEASE, DETECTING CO-CIRCULATINGS. SUISSTRAINS, AND IDENTIFYING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND VIRULENCE-ASSOCIATED GENES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO DISEASE OUTCOMES. MICROBIOME SEQUENCING, ADVANCED MOLECULAR ENRICHMENT METAGENOMICS, AND WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING OF MULTIPLE CULTURED ISOLATES FROM NASOPHARYNGEAL SAMPLES WILL BE PERFORMED. THESE DATA, ALONG WITH FARM MANAGEMENT FACTORS, WILL BE USED IN MULTIVARIABLE MODELING AND NETWORK ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE COMPREHENSIVE RISK FACTORS FOR DISEASE. THE RESULTS WILL PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE CAUSES OFS. SUIS DISEASE, ULTIMATELY SUPPORTING IMPROVED DISEASE CONTROL ON FARMS, ENHANCING PIG HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY.
$650,000Texas Tech University System · · FY2025 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
WHILE THERE IS BROAD CONSENSUS ON WHICH FOODS ARE HEALTHY, THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF THESE HEALTH BENEFITS HAS BEEN ELUSIVE. OUR MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF ALMOST EVERY FDA-APPROVED SMALL MOLECULE OR BIOLOGIC DWARFS THAT OF DRUG-LIKE MOLECULES THAT ARE ABUNDANT IN FOOD AND OF WHICH WE CONSUME TENS OF MILLIGRAMS TO GRAMS AT EVERY MEAL. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE HOW THE MICROBIOME-DEPENDENT PROCESSING OF GLUCOSINOLATES FROM BRASSICAS (E.G., BROCCOLI) AND STEROIDAL SAPONINS FROM SOLANACEOUS PLANTS (E.G., TOMATO) IMPACTS THE HUMAN CONSUMER. THESE COMPOUNDS UNDERGO METABOLISM BY THE GUT MICROBIOTA AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NUMEROUS HOST OUTCOMES (E.G. CANCER PREVENTION). IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL FIRST DETERMINE WHICH STRAINS AND GENES FROM THE MICROBIOME METABOLIZE THESE MOLECULES INTO THEIR ACTIVE FORM (AIM 1). WE WILL THEN USE GNOTOBIOTIC MICE COLONIZED BY DEFINED MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF THE PROCESSED DIETARY METABOLITES ON GUT MICROBIOME COMPOSITION (AIM 2) AND HOST OUTCOMES (AIM 3 & 4). OUR RECENT DATA ON THE PROCESSING OF FOOD MOLECULES BY THE MICROBIOME, COMBINED WITH OUR EXPERTISE IN ENGINEERING METABOLIC PATHWAYS IN CROP PLANTS, MAKE US WELL SUITED TO USE QUANTITATIVE METHODS TO STUDY THE METABOLISM AND BIOLOGY OF DIETARY MOLECULES IN A WHOLE FOOD CONTEXT. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS PROJECT WILL HELP ELUCIDATE HOW ABUNDANT MOLECULES IN FOOD INFLUENCE HUMAN HEALTH AT THE LEVEL OF MOLECULAR MECHANISM, AND ENABLE FUTURE EFFORTS TO USE DEFINED PROBIOTICS AND ENGINEERING OR BREEDING TO OPTIMIZE THE NUTRIENT CONTENT IN CROP PLANTS FOR DISEASE PREVENTION.
$649,997The Leland Stanford Junior University · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND PROFITABLE, THE U.S. GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY MUST CONTINUALLY DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT OPTIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION AND IMPROVE CROP QUALITY WHILE REDUCING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THE RHIZOSPHERE IS THE AREA AROUND A PLANT'S ROOTS THAT IS INHABITED BY A UNIQUE POPULATION OF MICROORGANISMS (PRIMARILY FUNGI AND BACTERIA). THIS COLLECTION OF MICROBES IS CALLED THE MICROBIOME. THE MAKEUP OF THE MICROBIOME IN THE RHIZOSPHERE IS INFLUENCED BY THE HOST PLANT AND THE ENVIRONMENT. BACTERIA THAT CAN INHABIT AND COLONIZE THE PLANT RHIZOSPHERE AND PROVIDE BENEFITS TO PLANT GROWTH ARE CALLED PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA (PGPR) THE APPLICATION OF MICROBIAL INOCULANTS THAT INCLUDE THESE PGPR CAN INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY AND PLANT UPTAKE OF ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS, THEREBY REDUCING NUTRIENT LEACHING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION. MOST PGPR-CONTAINING PRODUCTS HAVE INCONSISTENT BENEFITS FOR GREENHOUSE CROPS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED OR OPTIMIZED FOR THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE. THE GOALS OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO IDENTIFY PGPR THAT BENEFIT CROP PERFORMANCE IN SOILLESS, CONTAINERIZED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND TO INVESTIGATE HOW THE RHIZOSPHERE MICROBIOME IS INFLUENCED BY COMMON GREENHOUSE PRACTICES. WE WILL IDENTIFY BACTERIA THAT CAN HELP PLANTS TAKE UP AND UTILIZE PHOSPHORUS AND IRON MORE EFFICIENTLY. GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF THESE BACTERIA IMPROVE THE GROWTH AND QUALITY OF VEGETABLE AND ORNAMENTAL BEDDING PLANTS. SYNTHETIC BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES THAT CAN INCREASE FERTILIZER USE EFFICIENCY AND IMPROVE CROP PERFORMANCE WILL BE CREATED. WE WILL EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF PH, NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY, MEDIA MOISTURE CONTENT, AND PLANT GROWTH RETARDANTS ON THE RHIZOSPHERE MICROBIOME COMMUNITY STRUCTURE.
$649,982Ohio State University, The · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Predicting and preventing drug metabolism by the human gut microbiome
$649,975Peter James Turnbaugh · University Of California, San Francisco · R01 · FY2022 · HL
CAREER: From Desert to Coastal Rainforest Soils- How do fungi transform minerals deployed across natural weathering gradients?
$649,956Rebecca Lybrand · University Of California-Davis · · FY2021 · GEO
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROPOSAL ALIGNS WITH THE PROGRAM FOCUSED ON METHODS TO MONITOR AND UNDERSTAND THE DISPERSAL OF GE ORGANISMS AND INVESTIGATES THE SURVIVAL AND FITNESS OF THE GE ORGANISMS COMPARED TO THE NON-GE COUNTERPART ACROSS DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND HOSTS. WITH TOOLS FOR GENOME ENGINEERING AND ADVANCES IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO ENGINEER BETTER PROBIOTICS WITH DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONALITIES. SUCH PROBIOTICS WITH ENHANCED FUNCTIONAL FEATURES CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY AS MICROBES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND IMMUNE MODULATION. TO DATE, SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF FEEDING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROORGANISMS TO LIVESTOCK AND HOW ENGINEERED MICROBES PERSIST, INTEGRATE, AND STABILIZE WITHIN THE GUT MICROBIOME AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTS IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENTS WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS THIS KNOWLEDGE GAP BY 1) EXAMINING ECOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE ANIMAL'S FECAL AND ORAL MICROBIOME IN RESPONSE TO FEEDING A GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISM; 2) EVALUATE CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOMES ASSOCIATED WITH SOIL; 3) EVALUATE LONG AND SHORT-TERM STABILITY AND PERSISTENCE OF THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROBE IN THE ANIMAL GUT AND GENE FLOW TO OTHER MICROBES; 4) TRANSMISSION OF THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROBE BETWEEN ANIMALS. AS SUCH, THIS STUDY WILL DEVELOP CRITICAL AND TIMELY INFORMATION TO HELP EVALUATE THE LONG AND SHORT-TERM RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH UTILIZING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROBES IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND WILL HELP REGULATORY AGENCIES MAKE SCIENCE-BASED INFORMED DECISIONS ON UTILIZING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROBES IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION.
$649,929Board Of Regents Of The University Of Nebraska · · FY2024 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CADMIUM (CD), A TOXIC HEAVY METAL PRESENT IN MANY FOODS, AFFECTS REDOX STATUS IN DIFFERENT ORGANS, CAUSING MISREGULATION OF CELLULAR PROCESSES, LEADING TO SKELETAL, RENAL, GASTROINTESTINAL, METABOLIC, AND COGNITIVE DISORDERS. CD HAS DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS ON THE GUT MICROBIOME, WHICH REGULATES CD BIOAVAILABILITY, WITH ALTERED METABOLITE POOLS OF LACTATE AND BUTYRATE IN CD-SENSITIVE MICROBIOMES. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP MICROBIOTA-BASED STRATEGIES THAT PROTECT THE HOST FROM CD TOXICITY. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT HOST DIET AND CD-TOLERANT BACTERIA REGULATE THE VULNERABILITY OF THE GUT MICROBIOTA TO CD DAMAGE, AND THAT DIETARY FIBER OR CD-TOLERANT BACTERIA CAN RESTORE COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION TO CD-SENSITIVE MICROBIOTAS, THEREBY DECREASING HOST ABSORPTION OF CD AND INCREASING HOST HEALTH. WE WILL EMPLOY HUMAN MICROBIOTA-ASSOCIATED MICE HARBORING MICROBIOTAS THAT DIFFER IN CD SENSITIVITY TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF 1) CD TOLERANCE OF THE GUT MICROBIOTA AND 2) CD-TOLERANT BACTERIA, IN MEDIATING CD ACCUMULATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN HOST TISSUES. WE WILL ALSO IDENTIFY THE ROLE OF DIET IN CONFERRING CD TOLERANCE TO A MICROBIOME BY EXAMINING THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF DIETARY FIBER ON THE GUT MICROBIOTA AGAINST CD TOXICITY. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE PRIORITY AREAS OF THIS AFRI PROGRAM BY INVESTIGATING THE TERNARY INTERRELATIONSHIP AMONG FOODS, CD, AND THE HUMAN GUT MICROBIOME. WE WILL LINK THE FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF METABOLITES OF THE GUT MICROBIOME TO OUTCOMES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO HUMAN HEALTH, INCLUDING DECREASING CD DEPOSITION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN HOST TISSUES. OUR STUDY WILL HELP SHAPE DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM CD TOXICITY.
$649,927Board Of Regents Of The University Of Nebraska · · FY2024 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** LOBLOLLY PINE (PINUS TAEDA L.) IS ONE OF THE MOST INTENSIVELY MANAGED AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FOREST SPECIES IN THE WORLD. IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US, PHOSPHORUS (P) INPUTS AT PLANTATION ESTABLISHMENT ARE OFTEN REQUIRED TO OPTIMIZE PRODUCTION, BUT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX INTERACTIONS AMONG SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, THE SOIL BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THAT CONTROL NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY, AND THE INFLUENCE OF PREVIOUS FERTILIZATION RATES REMAINS LIMITED. WE KNOW PINE-ASSOCIATED ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI EXPLORE SOIL VOLUME AND ENHANCE NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY TO TREES BUT ARE UNCERTAIN HOW FERTILIZATION PRACTICES AFFECT THE SOIL-PLANT-MICROBIAL SYSTEM TO ALTER NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY BOTH IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM. WE HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE LONG-TERM, REPLICATED FIELD TRIALS IN LOBLOLLY PINE PLANTATIONS THAT RECEIVED INCREASING RATES OF P APPLICATION IN THE PREVIOUS ROTATION AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING HARVESTED AND REPLANTED. WE WILL EXPERIMENTALLY MANIPULATE ESTABLISHMENT P FERTILIZATION IN THESE GEOGRAPHICALLY-DISTRIBUTED SITES WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SOIL CHARACTERISTICS TO INVESTIGATE MECHANISTIC UNDERPINNINGS DETERMINING SOIL NUTRIENT SUPPLY. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF TECHNIQUES SUCH AS MICRODIALYSIS, ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANES, SELECTIVE DISSOLUTION ANALYSIS, FRACTIONATION OF P SUB-POOLS, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FUNGAL MICROBIOME AND MYCORRHIZAL BIOMASS, WE WILL EVALUATE THE ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC DRIVERS OF P AVAILABILITY, WITH LOBLOLLY PINE GROWTH RESPONSE AS THE FINAL BIO-INDICATOR. OUR GOAL IS TO ENHANCE THE CAPACITY TO PREDICT NUTRIENT LIMITATIONS AND CROP TREE GROWTH RESPONSE TO FERTILIZATION. THIS WORK IS DIRECTLY RELEVANTTO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY, SOIL HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
$649,912North Carolina State University · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Gut Dysbiosis and Cardiac Remodeling in IBD
$649,903Qingjie Li · University Of Texas Med Br Galveston · R01 · FY2021 · HL
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE INCREASING FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF DROUGHT POSE A MAJOR THREAT TO CROP PRODUCTION BY REDUCING THE ARABLE LAND. ALSO, INCREASING PRESSURE ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO FEED THE GROWING POPULATION COULD BE PARTLY ALLEVIATED BY BRINGING DROUGHTED MARGINAL LANDS BACK TO MAINSTREAM AGRICULTURE. THE ABOVE TWO COULD MATERIALIZE ONLY IF ROBUST PRACTICES ARE FORMULATED TO ENABLE CROPS TO TOLERATE DROUGHT. BREEDING FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN CROP PLANTS IS A VIABLE, BUT TIME-CONSUMING STRATEGY. MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH PLANT ROOTS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROVIDE DROUGHT TOLERANCE TO NATIVE, RUDERAL PLANT SPECIES, WHICH COULD BE ADOPTED IN CROP PRODUCTION. HOWEVER, TRANSFERRING THESE MICROBIOMES FROM RUDERAL SPECIES TO CROPS WITHOUT LOSING THE FUNCTIONAL TRAIT OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE IS RARELY ACHIEVED DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS AND THE LOWER PERSISTENCE OF THE INTRODUCED MICROORGANISMS UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH FOCUSES ON IDENTIFYING THE MICROBIOME THAT IMPARTS DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN RUDERAL PLANTS AND DEVISING STRATEGIES TO TRANSFER THE MICROBIOME-MEDIATED DROUGHT TOLERANCE TRAIT TO CROP PLANTS. USING FIELD SAMPLING AND GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTS, THE RESEARCHERS WILL SELECT AND CHARACTERIZE THE HIGHLY DROUGHT-TOLERANT MICROBIOME FROM THE NATIVE GRASS ANDROPOGON VIRGINICUS ADAPTED TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS. FURTHER, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MICROBIOME TO IMPART DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN CORN WILL BE TESTED USING A SERIES OF GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENTS. THE CHALLENGE OF SUPPORTING THE BENEFICIAL MICROBIOME UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY SELECTING IDEAL GRASS COVER CROP SPECIES THAT ARE FUNCTIONALLY SIMILAR TO ANDROPOGON AND CORN. THIS WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY SELECTING COVER CROP BIOTYPES WITH A SIMILAR ROOT EXUDATE PROFILE AS THAT OF ANDROPOGON, AND HENCE WOULD SUSTAIN A SIMILAR MICROBIOME COMMUNITY. THE SELECTION OF A FUNCTIONALLY SIMILAR COVER CROP WOULD PROVIDE AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT TO AMPLIFY THE MICROBIOME IN THE FIELD BEFORE CORN IS PLANTED. FIELD EXPERIMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFICIENCY OF COVER CROPS TO AMPLIFY THE INOCULUM OF THE SELECTED MICROBIOME AND FURTHER THE POTENTIAL OF THIS MICROBIOME TO PROVIDE DROUGHT RESILIENCE TO CORN.OVERALL, THE PROPOSED APPROACH WILL ENABLE THE SELECTION AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOME IN CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS TO ENHANCE DROUGHT RESILIENCE IN CROPS.
$649,898Clemson University · · FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture
** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TRIMETHYLAMINE N-OXIDE (TMAO) IS A HARMFUL METABOLITE DERIVED FROM GUT BACTERIA. CIRCULATING LEVELS OF TMAO ARE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, INCLUDING ATHEROSCLEROSIS, IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE. NO DRUGS ARE APPROVED TO LOWER TMAO. STRATEGIES SUCH AS DIET REPRESENT OUR BEST BET FOR CONTROLLING TMAO. DIETARY PHENOLICS HAVE SHOWN POTENTIAL FOR BENEFICIALLY ALTERING GUT BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES AND METABOLISM. ONE SUCH COMPOUND IS CHLOROGENIC ACID, FOUND IN FOODS SUCH AS BLUEBERRIES. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT CHLOROGENIC ACID-RICH BLUEBERRIES REDUCE TMO LEVELS IN VIVO. HOWEVER, CHLOROGENIC ACID CONTENT VARIES WIDELY IN BLUEBERRY CULTIVARS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE CHLOROGENIC ACID CONTENT OF BLUEBERRIES CORRESPONDS TO THEIR TMAO-LOWERING AND CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS. WE PROPOSE TO USE IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHLOROGENIC ACID CONTENT OF BLUEBERRIES AND THEIR TMAO-LOWERING AND ANTI-ATHEROSCLEROSIS ACTIVITIES. THE RATIONALE FOR THIS WORK IS THAT UNDERSTANDING WHETHER THE CHLOROGENIC ACID CONTENT OF FOODS CORRESPOND TO THEIR EFFICACY FOR LOWERING TMAO CAN LEAD TO HEALTHIER DIETARY PATTERNS IN AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS AND THE POPULATION, AND THAT BREEDERS CAN USE THESE DATA TO BREED CHLOROGENIC ACID-RICH CULTIVARS. THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF SUCH PATTERNS MAY REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE BURDEN AND INCREASE QUALITY OF LIFE AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND POPULATION LEVELS. THIS APPLICATION RESPONDS TO PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY 3D (FOOD AND HUMAN HEALTH) BY INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF FOOD COMPONENTS (BLUEBERRY CHLOROGENIC ACID) ON THE GUT MICROBIOME AND ITS METABOLITES (BACTERIAL-DERIVED TMAO) AND HOW THIS RELATES TO HUMAN HEALTH (PREVENTION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS).
$649,753North Carolina State University · · FY2024 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture