Danone North America Celebrates a Decade of Fellowship Grants for Gut Microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotic Studies

For the tenth yr, Danone North America will award $50,000 to graduate college students exploring the vital position of the intestine microbiome, yogurt and probiotics in human well being.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — For its 10^th yr in a row, Danone North America is proud to announce it’ll award two graduate college students $25,000 every for conducting analysis to additional examine the position of the intestine microbiome, yogurt and probiotics for human well being. Scientists within the subject have discovered that the microbial neighborhood, or microbiome of the intestine impacts not solely gastrointestinal well being, however has hyperlinks to the mind, immune system and even our circadian clocks.¹ The health of the intestine microbiome has additionally been related to sure persistent illness threat, corresponding to heart problems and diabetes.

“Danone North America appreciates that scientists have made nice strides in figuring out the position and significance of the human intestine microbiome. They’ve additionally discovered that the meals we eat can have a right away and dramatic impression on the make-up of our microbiome,” says Miguel Freitas, PhD, Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Danone North America. “As a prime meals firm within the U.S., with an enormous portfolio of important dairy and plant-based meals, we see it as a part of our function to assist assist these developments. We’re proud that now we have been capable of award these grants over the previous decade as graduate research are very important investments in the way forward for human well being analysis.”

The curiosity in microbiomes has exploded for the reason that launch of Frequent Fund’s Human Microbiome Project (HMP) by the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers in 2007. Whereas there’s a higher understanding of what a “regular” human microbiome seems to be like, how its managed or how it may be modified hasn’t been absolutely elucidated. Recipients of the Danone North America Fellowship Grant will assist these efforts by exploring how the intestine microbiome, yogurt and probiotics assist maintain human well being and wellness by development, improvement, and longevity.

“Danone North America’s mission is to convey well being by meals to as many individuals as potential,” says Dr. Freitas. “To fulfill our targets, we consider it is crucial to assist artistic, scientific minds to conduct analysis that uncovers new info and actionable suggestions that may assist individuals enhance their well being. With every grant, we make significant progress in fulfilling our function to nourish lives and maintain a more healthy world by meals.”

Danone North America made a dedication to make use of enterprise as a drive for good, balancing monetary pursuits with the social and environmental advantages for individuals, communities and the planet. As a public profit company (PBC), it declared turning into a Certified B Corp by 2020 a prime precedence. Forward of schedule, they did so in April 2018, making them the biggest PBC and B Corp on this planet. Amongst their achievements, the Danone North America Fellowship Grant has enabled up-and-coming scientists to make strides within the interdisciplinary fields of biology, well being sciences, diet, yogurt and probiotics.

¹Human Microbiome Challenge, U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers, Nationwide Institutes of Well being, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/public.

About Danone North America
Headquartered in White Plains, New York, and Broomfield, Colorado, the mission of Danone North America is to convey well being by meals to as many individuals as potential through its numerous providing of dairy and plant-based meals in excessive development and evolving classes. The ambition of Danone North America is to provide healthful meals that create financial and social worth and nurture pure ecosystems by sustainable agriculture. Each time we eat and drink, we vote for the world we would like. And because the largest public profit company within the U.S., Danone North America is taking daring steps for social good within the U.S. Danone North America is a subsidiary of Danone and extra info is obtainable at www.DanoneNorthAmerica.com.

In regards to the 2021-2022 Danone Fellowship Grant
This system is presently accepting purposes till February 14, 2022. To qualify, people should be incoming or present graduate college students who’ve demonstrated an curiosity in exploring the intestine microbiome, probiotics and yogurt to raised perceive how they assist assist and preserve human well being and wellness. Candidates should be at the very least 18 years of age, present proof of U.S. residence, and be capable to make the most of the scholarship funds throughout 2022 at an accredited U.S. establishment, pending COVID-19 pointers. All candidates will likely be required to submit an utility that features solutions to essay questions, suggestions from two college members, and proof of excellent educational standing. The appliance and full scholarship particulars can be found here.

The recipients to-date:

2020 Winners:
Catherine Shelton of Vanderbilt College used the grant to assist her analysis into the position of early-life microbiota metabolites in host well being to achieve a deeper mechanistic understanding of how the early-life microbiota protects towards weight problems.

Alice Solomon of the College of Arizona used the grant to research the mechanisms of probiotic operate within the intestine microbiome as a mediator of heart problems and different associated issues that come up throughout menopause.

2019 Winners:
Erica Kosmerl of The Ohio State College used her grant to analysis and look at the impression of dairy consumption and bifidobacteria on the intestine microbiome throughout infancy.

Elizabeth Morrison of Indiana College used her grant to analysis and assess the position of probiotic, B. Infantis on toddler intestine microbiome.

2018 Winners:
Megan Kennedy of the Medical Scientist Coaching Program at College of Chicago used her grant to take a better have a look at whether or not or not there’s a specific time in an individual’s 24-hour cycle when probiotics are finest capable of stay within the intestine neighborhood.

Nick Jensen of the College of California Davis doctoral program studied how associated kinds of helpful micro organism breakdown totally different carbohydrates within the meals we eat, particularly milk oligosaccharides.

2017 Winners:
Caroline Kelsey of the College of Virginia used her grant funds to look at how intestine micro organism and meals consumption affect mind improvement.

Yeonwoo Lebovitz of Virginia Tech used the grant to evaluate how a mom’s intestine microbiome can have an effect on and defend their child’s neurological improvement.

2016 Winners:
Erin Davis of the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was granted funds for her examine of probiotic yogurt consumption throughout breastfeeding on the immune and microbial composition of the milk, in addition to on maternal and toddler intestine microbiota.

Haley Chatelaine of The Ohio State College earned the grant to advance the sector through the use of cutting-edge analyses to determine the chemical signature of probiotic yogurt.

2015 Winner:
Micah Eimerbrink, Experimental Psychology doctoral candidate at Texas Christian College specializing in Behavioral Neuroscience. He used the funds to collaborate with Dr. Jonathan Oliver’s Kinesiology lab to research the usage of probiotics to cut back the psychological and physiological indicators of stress in army personnel.

2014 Winner:
Amanda Ford, College of Florida, used the grant to research the results of protein fermentation on the human microbiota and on totally different measures of digestive well being each with and with out probiotic consumption. Ford is now conducting a scientific analysis examine to research these results in older adults given a better protein weight loss plan.

2013 Winner:
Kurt Selle, North Carolina State College Practical Genomics doctoral candidate inside the Meals Science, Bioprocessing and Diet Science Division. He used the funds to develop expertise for learning the variation of fermentative microbes to take advantage of, publishing his findings within the Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences and presenting the outcomes on the eleventh Worldwide Symposium on Lactic Acid Micro organism as an invited speaker. Since receiving the award, up to now, Selle has introduced analysis at 4 worldwide conferences and printed eight analysis articles.

2012 Winner:
Nicholas Bokulich, doctoral candidate with the Dr. David Mills Analysis Group at College of California, Davis. He utilized the funds in the direction of researching the usage of meals as a supply vector for helpful micro organism within the human weight loss plan. This work led to a number of publications investigating the microbiome, meals manufacturing and human well being. Nicholas is presently a postdoctoral fellow at New York College Langone Medical Heart.

Media contact: Christina Deecken, cdeecken@pollock-pr.com