Award details

UK-China Joint Centre on Probiotic Bacteria

Reference	BBS/OS/NW/000006
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Arjan Narbad
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	250,000
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/06/2015
End date	31/05/2019
Duration	47 months

Abstract

The proposed collaboration aims to strengthen this UK-China synergy by promoting joint activities in the following areas of common interest which focus on advancing understanding of: • Mechanisms by which gut commensals colonise the gastrointestinal tract and exclude pathogens. • Antimicrobial strategies for controlling gut pathogens • The gut microbiome in health and disease and the development of SMART probiotics.

Summary

The microbiome is emerging as one of the most exciting new areas of research, as we learn more about how the populations of microbes that we host in our bodies affect our health. The potential now exists for developing microbial therapies that alter the composition of these complex communities to improve health. The UK-China Joint Centre for Probiotic Research is a joint venture between the Quadram Institute and Jiangnan University. The centre is bringing together long term collaborations to explore how beneficial probiotic bacteria could be used to address a range of problems pertinent to the UK, China and globally. The team has already received further support from China’s Jiangsu Province to enhance the collaboration which has resulted in 10 joint research publications and exchange of 3 PhD students and 2 Postdocs. The centre also jointly organised an international symposium on gut microbiota, probiotics and gut health. Antimicrobial resistance presents a threat to global health and economic security and only a coordinated, collaborative approach will tackle the many aspects to the problem. The UK has been leading work with international partners to tackle the problem through organisations such as the WHO and G20. The Joint Centre for Probiotic Research is studying how probiotic strains of bacteria could reduce or replace the need for antibiotics, which will help alleviate the emergence of resistance. Probiotics are also being developed to address other health needs. The joint centre has also identified a probiotic that alleviates the effects of aluminium metal toxicity meeting a need for novel, safe, natural treatments to alleviate the effects of aluminium ingestion. A similar approach has also identified probiotic bacteria that can sequester cadmium, another heavy metal that causes serious harm if consumed via contaminated food or drinking water.

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Diet and Health, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Newton Fund - Initial Awards (NFIA) [2017]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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