Gut microbiome regulation
Principal Investigator
Jia-Sheng Wang, Professor and Head, Department of Environmental Health Science,
University of Georgia, Room 206A, 150 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602;
jswang@uga.edu
Co-PIs:
Lili Tang, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health Science,
University of Georgia, Room 142, 150 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602;
ltang@uga.edu
John Ssempebwa, Senior lecturer, Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda;
jssems@musph.ac.ug
Regulation of gut microbiome by peanut supplement in youth
Area of Inquiry: Nutrition
Country focus: Uganda
Project length: 3 years
Budget: $500,000
Gut microbiota are considered critical to human health and immunity. Their functions range from the regulation of host nutrition and nutrient metabolism to therapeutic roles in many types of human diseases, including disorders in the growth and development of youth. This project studies the effects of peanut consumption on the gut microbiota of Ugandan youth. Next-generation sequencing and high-throughput analytical techniques are used to perform metagenomics and metabolomics analyses to assess the regulatory effects of peanut consumption on the structure and function of gut microbiome. The project will also explore the difference in growth between youth who regularly consume peanuts versus those who rarely consume peanut/peanut-based meals, as well as variations of the peanut effects between girls and boys.
