RPI researcher gets $3M grant to study gut health
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Blanca Barquera will be granted nearly $3.3 million over five years to explore gut health research. This grant comes from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Barquera has been investigating the energy-generating processes of Bacteroides, the most abundant member of the gut microbiome, as well as their impact on our wellbeing. This grant aims to improve the understanding surrounding the energy metabolism of Bacteroides.
A healthy gut is crucial in contributing to the health of our hearts, kidneys, and brains, as well as helping us fend off sickness. The research Baquera has been conducting found that Bacteroides have a complex respiratory chain that provides substantial energy and enables essential metabolic processes.
"Our preliminary results reveal new and unexpected complexities of the respiratory pathway, new terminal electron acceptors that we predict contribute to bacterial and host fitness, and differences between Bacteroides species that likely impact microbiota composition," said Barquera.
With this research, Barquera's research group will study essential enzymes involved in energy metabolism that drive the transport of carbohydrates into the cell, which are a significant part of one's diet and can be utilized by Bacteroides species for nutrients. Researchers will also look into how Bacteroides can use vitamin K from one's diet, an essential nutrient for humans and bacteria.
The third goal of Barquera's study is to find out how another important respiratory enzyme can protect bacteria against toxic nitric oxide produced by the intestines during inflammation. All in all, Barquera's research aims to study how human gut bacteria can influence the health of people.
"I look forward to watching Professor Barquera's research illuminate the physiology of gut Bacteroides," said Curt Breneman, Ph.D., dean of Rensselaer's School of Science. "Insights from her work will provide a greater understanding of how gut health can be optimized by intervention to improve overall health and prevent disease."
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