NIH awards $42 million to expand Human Microbiome Project
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
National Institutes of Health announces June 23 new funding that will help researchers track the genomes, or DNA, of microscopic organisms that live in or on the human body. Studies will use samples collected from seven areas of the body: the digestive tract, mouth, skin, nose, blood, vagina and male urethra. Related disease states under investigation include obesity, sexually transmitted diseases, psoriasis and Crohn's disease. "This effort will accelerate our understanding of how our bodies and microorganisms interact to influence health and disease," NIH explains. The agency launched the five-year Human Microbiome Project in 2007 as part of its Common Fund's Roadmap for Medical Research. Funds will go to investigators in St. Louis; Rockville and Bethesda, Md.; New York; Richmond, Va.; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Houston; Philadelphia; and Ann Arbor, Mich