uBiome Awards Grant to North Carolina A&T State University to Study Gut Microbiome and Cardiovascular Health Risks in African-American Athletes
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Through its Microbiome Grant Initiative, uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, has awarded microbiome research support in study design, planning, sample collection, and analysis to a team of researchers at North Carolina A&T State University led by Dr. Marc D. Cook, PhD, to study the interactions between gut microbial composition and cardiovascular health risks, such as hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, in African-American college athletes.
A common link between exercise and cardiovascular disease is that they both exhibit distinct gut microbiome profiles that may either offer a level of protection from or promote cardiovascular disease. Given the fact that African Americans are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy compared to Caucasian populations, the goal of the study is to quantify the relationship between athletic gut dysbiosis and hypertension in intercollegiate African American athletes.
Further exploration will include understanding the role of the gut microbiota on athletic performance, symptoms of overtraining, and injury. Researchers hope to generate preliminary data to identify specific microbial taxa significantly associated with hypertension in athletes. They hope future studies will propose interventions to improve gut microbial profiles in athletes with hypertension and prevent the early development of cardiovascular disease related to sport.
The data collected from each athlete will include fecal microbiome composition using uBiome's patented kits, cardio-metabolic fitness, cardiac function, blood pressure, body composition, sport-specific training volume, and diet.
"The prevalence of cardiovascular disease among this population make this study uniquely important and one we are proud to support," said Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome. "We are excited to collaborate with North Carolina A&T State University for this investigation."
Dr. Cook is an assistant professor of exercise science in the Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies. His research interests include exercise immunology, racial disparities in endothelial dysfunction and subsequent cardiovascular disease, gut dysbiosis, and vascular disease.
About the grant, Dr. Cook said, "As an academic research professor, it is special when you have the opportunity to directly impact knowledge about overall health outcomes related to exercise and participation in athletics, all-the-while working to positively impact the disease risk by asking simple questions and involving them in the process. We appreciate uBiome's initiative and support to help us with this important work."
Through its Microbiome Grant Initiative, uBiome has awarded millions of dollars in research support to hundreds of investigators around the world at renowned academic institutions and not-for-profit research organizations, including Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney. Awards include patented microbiome sequencing kits, as well as research support in study design, planning, sample collection, and analysis. To learn more about our award process or to submit a grant proposal, visit http://www.ubiome.com/microbiome-grant-initiative/.
About uBiome
Founded in 2012, uBiome is the leader in microbial genomics. The Company's mission is to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful to people. uBiome combines its patented proprietary precision sequencing(TM) with machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutic targets. uBiome has filed for over 250 patents on its technology, which includes sample preparation, computational analysis, molecular techniques, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
uBiome's commercial products include SmartGut(TM), the world's first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohn's Disease, and ulcerative colitis; SmartJane(TM), the first sequencing-based women's health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions; and Explorer(TM), a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness.
uBiome's platform has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, patients, and doctors and more than 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney.
Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018, as well as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.uBiome.com.
SOURCE Ubiome
