Microbiome and Nutrition
The complex community of bacteria, yeasts and viruses living in our intestines, collectively known as the gut microbiome, is shaped, in part, by what we eat. Genetics, environment, and other factors also influence an individual’s microbial community. Research at the NRI investigates these complex relationships and their impact on disease risk. We use animal models and bioinformatics to study the associations between nutritional metabolites, gut microbiome, and health. What happens in the gut doesn’t stay in the gut. Your microbiome can play a role in cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, and even cancer. Our team envisions a future where analysis of your microbiome can determine disease risk, and medical foods can be prescribed to treat and prevent disease by regulating the microbiome.
Publications
Microbiome and Nutrition Publications
2020
Population studies of TMAO and its precursors may help elucidate mechanisms. Meyer K
2019
Association of dietary patterns with the gut microbiota in older, community-dwelling men. Meyer K
2018
Meta-analysis of human genome-microbiome association studies: the MiBioGen consortium initiative. Meyer K
Human microbiota, blood group antigens, and disease. Sumner S
2017
Trimethylamine N-Oxide, the Microbiome, and Heart and Kidney Disease. Zeisel S
2016
Diet and Gut Microbial Function in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Meyer K
Antibiotic-mediated gut microbiome perturbation accelerates development of type 1 diabetes in mice. Sumner S
Related News
Researcher Returns to Familiar Ground for Groundbreaking Work
September 17, 2015 • The following has been reprinted from the Charlotte Observer.
Growing up in Kannapolis, Summer Goodson knew that the mammoth Cannon Mills textile complex was the lifeblood of the community.
Members of her family worked in the plant for 70 years before Pillowtex shuttered the facility in 2003. Little did Goodson know that she would carry on her family’s legacy by one day working in some of the same buildings. But instead of spinning cotton into fiber, Goodson is turning research into medical advancements aimed at helping treat male infertility.
Serving up Food for All
September 16, 2015 • Announced in the spring as the University’s academic theme for 2015–17 by Chancellor Carol L. Folt, “Food for All: Local and Global Perspectives” takes off this fall with several activities and events on a broad spectrum of food topics. It’s no coincidence that food is a topic that fascinates Tar Heel researchers, from the Odum Institute’s early studies of poverty and hunger to the state of the art investigations done today at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis.
Melon and Shrimp Recipe
September 12, 2015 • Melon and Shrimp recipe designed by Chef Mark Allison, Dole Food Company.
Impact Report
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September 2015
September 5, 2015 • September 2015 SoundBites features: Duke, UNC Collaborate at North Carolina Research Campus, Cooking for Nourishment, Catawba Scholar Helps with NRI Research, and Ongoing Studies (Take Part in Research)