Four year new joint research project aims to develop microbiome based solutions
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences has announced a second collaboration with the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Center (APC), which focuses on microbes that live in and on the body and play a significant role in human health, based at University College Cork and Teagasc Moorepark.
Representatives from both organizations recently announced the ‘Missing Microbes in Infants born by C-section’ (MiMIC) project and its potential to improve infant health. The €6.3 million, four-year project will be funded jointly by DuPont and Science Foundation Ireland’s Spokes program, a platform that is designed to deliver excellent research results and discoveries with industrial relevance to bring significant economic and societal impact.
The DuPont Human Microbiome Venture (HMV) was launched in 2017 to spearhead the development of next-generation microbiome solutions for improved health and wellness. Staying at the forefront of biotechnology innovation, HMV is designed to accelerate product development to complement its existing portfolio and build on DuPont’s strong expertise in prebiotics, microbes, proteins and enzymes.
The population of bacteria in the gut develops over the first four years of life and plays a key role in human health. Establishment of a healthy gut microbiome in early life is influenced by birth mode, antibiotic use and nutrition, including breast milk components. Infant gut microbiota can be severely depleted in infants born by C-section or exposed to antibiotics. Breastfeeding can help improve microbiota composition.