Dietary plant diversity and your gut microbiome
Official title: Dietary plant diversity and the human gut microbiome
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11414836 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Eating a wider variety of plant foods may shape the bacteria in your gut and influence your health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2017 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $461,561 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK116187-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11414836 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults willing to try varied plant-based diets and provide gut microbiome samples.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals unable to change their diet or who have conditions that require specialized diets may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how different plant-rich diets affect the community of bacteria living in the gut. It builds on findings that plant nutrients can energize gut microbes and that everyday eating patterns influence microbiome responses to changes in diet. Researchers will test how diverse plant species in meals relate to microbiome composition across diverse people and how these effects interact with current fiber-focused guidelines. The work uses advanced statistical models to understand these relationships and inform dietary recommendations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help tailor dietary guidelines to support a healthier gut microbiome and overall health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows plant diversity can influence gut bacteria, with ongoing research exploring how to translate this into guidelines.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: David, Lawrence Anthony — Duke University
- Study coordinator: David, Lawrence Anthony
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
-
Mapping how gut bacteria transform drugs
Scientists will study how the gut microbiome changes thousands of drugs into new forms, which could affect how well a medicine works or whether it causes side effects.
-
Aflatoxin exposure and child growth in Guatemala
A study in rural Guatemala will track how exposure to aflatoxin relates to growth and gut health in young children.
-
Gut bacteria that can make cancer immunotherapy less effective
This project will see if reducing chronic inflammation driven by certain gut bacteria can help immunotherapy work better for people whose cancers have stopped responding.
-
How gut bacteria affect how cancer drugs work
This project looks at how the bacteria in your gut might change how well and with what side effects fluoropyrimidine cancer drugs like 5-FU work in people.
-
Gut bacteria and cancer drugs: how your gut may change chemotherapy effectiveness
This project studies how the gut microbiome might affect how well certain chemotherapy drugs work and their side effects in people with cancer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.